The Full Picture

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tions. Observations of human interactions with, and

impact on nature (eg settlements, recreation), human

use of goods (eg firewood, food) and services (eg water,

biodiversity) obtained from ecosystems are prerequisites

for

understanding

environmental

change.

‘Comprehensive’ also implies collating, archiving and

interpreting data over long periods, as well as covering

important eco-regions at multiple scales, from point

observations to remotely-sensed landscape observations.

The South African government recognises that a

national Earth observation system must be durable in

its design and management. Hence, SAEON’s network

design promotes the integration of existing environ-

mental observation systems. Stabilised by core funding

and the institutional capacities of its diverse range of

participants, SAEON stands neutral and resilient to the

internal dynamics of individual participants, and lever-

ages contributions to the system.

SAEON coordinates Earth observation systems

through three tiers of stakeholder advisory committees,

namely political, technical and operational. Its scientific

design is continuously refined to be responsive to emerg-

ing environmental issues and corresponds largely with

the societal benefit areas of GEO. The current SAEON

themes are water, soil, nutrient cycling, biodiversity,

disturbance regimes and climate change. Six SAEON

nodes have been designated at distributed locations for

geographical spread. These nodes are offices coordinat-

ing and facilitating observation and information systems

for four terrestrial regions, the coastal zone and offshore

marine systems. Once established, they attract world-

wide research interest.

Developing information systems for Earth

observation

In addition to its nodes, SAEON also coordinates

domain-specific data centres (for example, Southern

African Data Centre for Oceanography). To connect the

distributed data holdings of nodes and data providers,

Integrating Earth observation systems

The most advanced observation network in the Southern African

region is the South African Environmental Observation Network

(SAEON), formally established in 2002 after a few years of deliber-

ation among the research community. The Department of Science

and Technology took the lead among relevant government depart-

ments by mandating and funding the National Research Foundation

to develop SAEON as an institutionalised network of departments,

science councils, universities, research institutes and industrial part-

ners. The Department of Science and Technology’s vision was to

establish an Earth observation platform supporting the various

mandates of the different participating organisations. These organi-

sations range from departments with environmental concerns

(Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Water Affairs and Forestry,

Agriculture, Minerals and Energy, Provincial and Local Government)

to the cohort of science councils, universities and large commercial

and parastatal businesses, and overall, for public good.

SAEON operates on a number of guiding principles. It aims to be

comprehensive in scope by covering terrestrial, atmospheric and

oceanic systems, inclusive of recent-past environmental conditions

that may be inferred from geological and palaeontological observa-

Southern Africa’s environment is continuously changed by diverse and adjoining

land uses, here separated by only a fence and illustrating very different impacts

on the same ecosystem

Photo: JC Pauw

The SAEON team promotes the archiving and accessibility of environmental data

The firewood and charcoal trade

Photo: JC Pauw

OCIETAL

ENEFIT

REAS

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IODIVERSITY