INSPIRE Meeting orchestrated by the Hungarian Member of the EU INSPIRE Committee

Pál Bozó, Member of the EU INSPIRE Committee. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

Planned collaboration of MoEW and HUNAGI announced by Mr. Bozó


Mr. Pál Bozó Deputy General Director at Ministry of Environment and Water invited HUNAGI to the meeting devoted to the introduction of the FÖMI INSPIRE Working Group and the roadmap for the next two years.
The meeting co-chaired by Dr. Szabolcs Mihály Director General of FÖMI was hosted by FÖMI.
The following ministries and governmental agencies were represented:
Ministry of Environment and Water
Department of Human Resources and Informatics
Department of Watershed Management
Nature Protection Department
Hungarian Meteorological Service (as registered LMO)
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Department of Land Administration and Geoinformation
Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing (as registered LMO)
Ministry of Local Governments and Regional Development
VATI

Peter Winkler Deputy DG of FÖMI initiator of the FÖMI INSPIRE WG in 2005.
Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007


HUNAGI, the Hungarian Association for Geo-information (as registered SDIC) was also present.
Major issues will be summarized here soon.
Official minutes is downloadable from here:
www.fomi.hu/hunagi/pdf/2004/INSPIREfomi-kvvmEmlekezteto.doc

HUNAGI moves to the Third Floor inside the MoARD Building

Building of the MoARD in the Kossuth Lajos Square
Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
MoARD will host the HUNAGI Secretariat in a new room inside its building

Reconstruction works will start in early July in the MoARD Building in order to host the FAO Regional Centre for Europe and Central Asia. This will affect the future location of the Department of Land Administration and Geoinformation and HUNAGI too. HUNAGI will move tomorrow to the third floor, Room Nr. 342. E-mail address of HUNAGI will be unchanged hunagi@hunagi.hu
The same for the mobile telephone number: +36 30 415 8276

Cross-border River Watershed Workshop Successfully Completed with Statement

Chair Jelle Hielkema and Prof. Hirochito Fukui. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

News under compilation.

The statements of the IHLET Brussels Workshop will be announced at www.ihlet.org first.

or you can download it from here

The IHLET Workshop in work

3e3 Room of the ASP Buiding during the Ihlet Workshop: Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

All the presentations including programme will be available soon at www.ihlet.org

IHLET Tisza Watershed Area Development Programme Workshop started in Brussels

Representative of Catherine Day, Secretary General of the European Parliament opened the Workshop today
In the premise of the European Parliament high profile representatives of the European Institution Messrs. Joachim D'Eugenia, Supervisor of the EWFD and INSPIRE senior expert Hugo De Groof , both of DG Envi as well as representative of Prof. Mauro Salvemini, President of EUROGI opened the Kick-off Workshop of the IHLET Tisza Development Programme.

In the afternoon session chaired by Jelle U. Hielkema, adviser of the UNGIWG, the projects related to the rivers Mekong, Parana and Mosel were presented.

e-Nodes and e-Hubs in Central Europe

Vienna as seen from the top of the BEV HQ. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2006
Nodes and Hubs in Central Europe
www.milestone.at/central
From our daily mail:
"Central Europe Digital describes Central European intermediaries and multipliers in the field of ICT to an interested international audience.
By registering in our database you can
- present your organisation to an international audience and increase your visibility in Europe and beyond
- find and establish contact with nodes and hubs all over Central Europe (intermediaries such as IT associations, clusters, networks etc)
- promote your activities such as conferences, workshops and other events through our event calendar
How to participate
Simply visit www.milestone.at/central and click on the “register here” button. Or send us an e-mail at central@milestone.at
Central Europe Digital is the place for anyone interested in IT collaboration in the Central European Region (CENTROPE and beyond). " - Daniel Spichtinger, Milestone, Vienna

UNSDI HUCO on the Central Europe Digital Hub in Vienna

Mozart Statue in Vienna. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2006
Increased visibility is provided for UNSDI HUCO by the On-line Service of the Central Europe Digital Database

UNSDI HUCO is now among the referred Hungarian Organisations including NJSZT, IVSZ and HUNAGI

http://europe.milestone.at

UNGIWG and UNSDI: Good News from New York

UN Headquarters in New York. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2004

UNSDI discussed in New York on 8th June 2007

The UN SDI documents and related actions discussed and adopted by UNGIWG Meeting hosted by OCHA (Operation Center for Humanitarian Aid) in New York

The UNGIWG Meeting and Teleconference in the subject UNSDI resulted positive outcomes as communicated by UNGIWG Advisor Jelle U. Hielkema from Rome recently.

Preparation of the Ihlet Tisza River Development Programme Workshop in its final stage

Building of the European Parliament in Brussels. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2004

The invitation based Workshop will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels between 20-22 June, 2007

Scope, goals, preliminary programme and list of participants will be announced later this week. HUNAGI took actively part in the preparation recommending experts to be invited from the European Institutions, EUROGI, EuroGeographics, FIG, ISPRS, Digital Earth, UNGIWG's UNSDI and other relevant communities.

Hungarian National Committee on the Year of the Planet Earth established

Historical Building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2006

Committee established for the Year of the Planet Earth - 2008
Established by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, the Committee held its inagural meeting on 5th June.
The ten themes in the two action directions (scientific programmes and education/awareness) of the Committee are as follow:
Groundwater.
Hazards,
Earth & Healths,
Climate,
Resources,
Megacities,
Deep Earth,Ocean,
Soil,
Earth & Life.
Signed by the Presidents of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, the Secretary General of HUNAGI was invited to be member of the Committee. Earth Observation, (G)SDI and the Digital Earth Vision will be channelled in the multidisciplinary work, and arrangements related to the Hungarian participation at the Digital Earth Summit scheduled for October 2008 in Potsdam will be among the planned contributions.

Forecast for the future

ISDE5 Moderator Dr. Glen Lauder and speaker Dr. Mike Liebhold before the presentation. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
Message of the last day of the ISDE-5 Symposium based on the presentation of the chief scientist of the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, Calif. will besummarized in the Symposium report posted in early July.



John Graham of the San Diego Supercomputer Center delivered an extra presentation in the Closing Session. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007








Representatives of the Industry and Academia at the closing Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

3rd Day of ISDE-5 Presentation on GEOSS and Earth Cafe

Greg Withee of NOAA in the Q/A part.
Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007


Session entitled Technology for Survival of Society


In the Session Greg Withee, Senior Advisor to Vice Admiral Lautenbacher, Head of NOAA and Co-chair of GEO introduced the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. To the 4th GEO Ministerial level Meeting 70 member countries and about 50 organisations are invited. Representative of the Digital Earth community is intended to take part too.
The presentations delivered by the representatives of the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Japanese Earth Simulator Center are reported on :http//hunagi.blogspot.com

At the end of the sesion, Richard Simpson, GIS Champion of New Zealand and Prof Manfred Ehlers of Germany the organisers of the past and next Digital Earth Summit (in Auckland, August 2006 and in Potsdam in October 2008 respectively) made brief summary on the achievements and plans. The Auckland Summit devoted to Sustainable development was participated the Prime Minister of NZ with five other cabinet members, while the Potsdam Summit will be around the topic Climate Change (more focusing on science and technology).
Earth Cafe scenery in the Martin Luther King Hall. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

After the session parallel round table discussions were arranged involving the students and volunteers of civil organisations. The otput recorded on whiteboard was shared with the participants of the symposium.

HUNAGI/UNSDI HUCO presentation delivered at ISDE5

Hungarian presentation at ISDE5.
Photo taken by Prof.Manfred Ehlers. HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
The session devoted to
Nations: Around the world with the spin of a globe
were chaired by the SG of HUNAGI.

Four presentations were delivivered
China's Digital Earth Technology
Professor Guo Huadong (Director, International Society for Digital Earth, Beijing, Dept. Secretary General of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Secretary General of ISDE)
National Agendas for Digital Earth Progress - the Case of Hungary
Dr. Gabor Remetey Fulopp (HUNAGI Budapest, Hungary) Co-authors Alessandro Annoni DG JRC and Jelle U. Hielkema (UNGIWG Secretariat)
The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiatve: 10 years experience with Geo-Temporal Resources
Prof. Michael Buckland (UC Berkeley)
What Visioncruiser (TM) can do for Digital Earth
Academician Prof. Li Deren, Wuhan University, China
The Hungarian presentation can be downloaded from here:
www.fomi.hu/hunagi/pdf/2004/rfgISDE5.pdf

Shocking Facts on the Global Changes for Climate and Environment

Peter Worden, Director of NASA Ames Research Center.
Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

Selected Highlights on the Day 2 of the ISDE-5
Director Brig.Gen. Peter Worden introduced the NASA Ames Research Center's activities emphasizing the importance of the collaboration with the industry to facilitate the access to the enormous data asset of NASA for everybody.

Robert Corell of the Heinz Center Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

Shocking facts, figures and graphs were shown by Robert Corell, Director of Global Change of Heinz Center DC. Some of the visualised information are provided even for the situation room of the White House (e.g. thematic maps on bio-epidemics).
In the Session devoted to Google Earth applications moderated by Rebecca Moore of Google, impressive achievement to map remote and wide (1o M hectars) areas in Amazonia in unprecedently very short time involving the local tribes was presented.

The Darfur case introduced by the Washington Holocaust Museum.

Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
Another excellent example was introduced by experts of the Holocaust Museum Washington DC by geolocating and visualising the spots of crisis in Darfur, Sudan. It is anticipated Amnesty International will also use this technology to monitor such tragic events, and keep eye on them. A press conference in this subject is scheduled for later today. Public access to such information could assist to raise the awareness of the people around the world.
Mary Anne Hitt addressed the issue of the open coal mines in the Appalachians and their irtreversible damages on environment and landscape. The civil initiative Appalachian Voices has its own website to introduce the geolocated sites of mountaintop removals.

ISDE-5 Officially Opened by Remote Speeker from Tromso, Norway

The thin layers which keep the life on the Earth as seen from a manned spaceflight. Picture taken by NASA Astronaut Ed Mitchell. Photo: from ISDE presentation, HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
ISDE-5 started with high gear this morning


Director Jan-Gunnar Winther of the Norwegian Polar Institute opened the ISDE-5 via mobil phone from Tromso today.
Norway is the host country of the World Environmental Day 2008 devoted to the Impact of Melting Ice a hot issue for the mankind.
Further opening speakers include Xu Guanhua, Minister of Science and Technology, PR China and Lt. Governor of California John Garamendi.
Honorable John Garamendi, Lt.Governor, State of California. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

The UC Berkeley Campus welcome was provided by the Vice Chancellor Tom Kalil and the keynote seech was delivered by Dr. Tim Foresman entitled The Digital Earth Saga.

Dr.Timothy Foresman, Director of the ISDE-5 delivers his keynote speech. Image: HUNAGI Visuals reource, 2007


Dr. Below: Edgar Mitchell, Astronaut during his presentation at ISDE-5. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007


Dr. Edgar Mitchell, astronaut of the Apollo 14 made deep impression on the audience with his subjective, retrospective presentation with unique illustrations, while by Ambassador John McDonald`s presentation was devoted to the relations of Environment, Conflict and Peace, referenced by three stories from the UN from the late 60' till 1990, namely UNEP/Nairobi, the Stockholm and the Special Session of the UN devoted to the Drinking water and Salination resulted a 10-year programme.

Digital Earth Wiki located at http://isde5.pbwiki.com/ Getting started by this efficient way to build and share collaboratively knowledge online by posting your links and contributions on the web.
Prof.Gua Huadong, SG of ISDE and Deputy SG of the Chinese Academy of Science, Hu Guanhua, Minister of Science and Technology, PRC and Academician Prof Li Deren of the Wuhan University Photo: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007

Photographic portfolio of the event will be available soon on www.hunagi.hu at the Photo collection on Country (Summer flowers of the San Francisco Bay Area), Cities (San Francisco), Events (IJDE Editorial Board Meeting, ISDE Board Meeting, ISDE 5 Symposium), People (ISDE-5) and Sites (University of California at Berkeley).

Book on the Polar Bears and the Climate Change

Colophon of the book with access data. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
Book not only for Children about The last Little Polar Bear

Dr.Timothy Foresman ecologist, former UNEP, NASA expert and today Conference director of the ISDE-5 introduced his new book at the Board Meeting of the International Society for Digital Earth earlier today.

Beijing will host the ISDE-6 Symposium

Screenshot of the Chinese presentation. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
China won the competition to host the ISDE-6
In the year of the 60th Anniversary of the People`s Republic of China, Beijing will organise the next International Symposium on Digital Earth in 2009. All the applicants including Israel and Hungary received 10-10 minutes to introduce their bids in the Meeting of the ISDE Board on 4th June here in Berkeley.
In the Q/A part notes and questions raised by Professors John van Genderen and Michael Goodchild related to the Hungarian presentation were positive.
For 2008 the German Society for GI won against New Zealand to host the ISDE Summit in the theme Global Change and GIS. This Conference will be held in Potsdam and is scheduled for November 2008.
The distributed Hungarian proposal included a two page reasoning plus a two-page introduction of the host organistion and its members. The escorting letter addressed to Prof. Guo Huadong, Secretary General of ISDE and Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was also disseminated for information. These documents will be accessible on this blog later on.

International Journal of Digital Earth launched in 2008

The International Society for Digital Earth has now e-Journal

Ms.Rachel Sangster, Publisher of Environmental and Agricultural Journals represented Taylor & Francis, the oldest commercial journal publisher in the world at the meeting chaired by Professor John L. van Genderen. The meeting was held in the Durant Hotel, Berkeley on 4th June 2007.
The Vol 1 No. 1 will be published in January 2008. All articles will be reviewed. HUNAGI representative got also a paper for reviewing.

Morning report from the University of Berkeley

View from the Summer Visitor`s Stern Hall on the campus UC at Berkeley.
Image: HUNAGI Visuals resource, 2007
HUNAGI Proposal to host ISDE-6
known by EC and the UNGIWG
ExCom of ISDE will discuss the proposal later this week

Jelle U. Hielkema from Rome informed me this morning that Co-Chairs of the coming UNGIWG Meeting scheduled for 8th of June in New York hosted by OCHA were informed on the HUNAGI Proposal which was released to Prof Huadong Chair of the International Society of Digital Earth to host the ISDE-6 in Budapest in 2009.
As learned in a communication of the Head of the Unit SDI of the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at DG JRC Mr. Alessandro Annoni expressed his support also in this context.
More news on the developments soon. Fortunately the connectivity is no problem here in the campus of the University of Berkeley.