HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY THE GAPS IN OUR OBSERVING SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS?

In addition to using the GEO Societal Benefit Areas as a structural guidance of the organization of a gap analysis, other global challenges and goals could be used to structure a gap analysis. Here are three complementary approaches to a gap analysis. Each would start with the science of what is needed to be measured to get a reasonable metric. This could be entered into the User Requirement Registry (URR). The URR could then be used to do an initial gap analysis to identify the requirements that are not be met by data. This would then be a starting point to a more detailed analysis.

Here are the three points:

• Safe operating space for humanity (SOSH): keeping the planet within the SOSH is a necessity for the survival of the current civilization. This requires the monitoring of the Earth system's state with respect to the nine global boundaries identified by Rockstroem et al. (2009). What are the variables that need to be monitored to understand the system trajectory with respect to these boundaries? How can geo-engineering help and what do we need to monitor in order to be successful with geo-engineering?
• Sustainable development as defined by Griggs et al. (2013): Sustainable development in the Anthropocene: “Development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth’s life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.” What is needed to ensure the safeguarding of Earth's life-support system? How can we monitor the impact of economic activities on Earth's life-support system?
• The proposed six sustainable development goals: What are the SDG indicators and what observations are needed? Do we have them?

A PRACTICAL PLAN