Improving and integrating polar observation systems in response to user requirements at local, regional, and international level

Expected Outcome:In line with the Green Deal, the EU climate action an adaptation strategy, the EU Arctic policy[1], the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, successful proposals will contribute to the expected impact of this Destination on more accessible and interoperable environmental observations.

Project results are expected to contribute to all following expected outcomes:

• major European contribution to improved and long-term coordination, governance, sustainability, and resilience of international environmental observing systems relevant for polar regions, to better understand their evolution and role in the climate system and the related impact on biodiversity;
• enhanced usability, accessibility, effectiveness, interoperability, and exploitation of environmental observing and data systems, that help improving Earth System and prediction models, as well as digital twins (the European Digital Twin of the Ocean[2] and Destination Earth[3], and in particular support the evolution of the relevant Copernicus services and the Copernicus Arctic Hub[4];
• support to sustainable management of the polar regions and to decision-making processes for civil society, local or national authorities and stake- and right-holders, as well as EU and international organisations, thereby supporting the related EU policies.

Scope:Long-term, integrated, and sustained observations, building on shared polar observation variables require the development of a “system of systems”. Proposals should address aspects such as carbon cycle, biogeochemistry, sea ice dynamics, ice shelves, freshwater flows changing marine waters and oceanic circulation, atmospheric composition and conditions, subsea permafrost, degradation of marine habitats and biodiversity.

Proposals should demonstrate how they will contribute significantly to:

• improving marine and cryospheric observing systems, in particular the non-space-based components, focussing on their optimisation, integration, coordination and governance, building on available technologies or technologies in development, including Artificial Intelligence;
• harmonised, standardised and interoperable of FAIR and CARE Polar Data systems (e.g. data collection, processing and management, incl. also historical data), that are able to provide real time information when necessary; and make them openly available e.g. through the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet)
• supporting the European polar science coordination efforts, including synergies with the objectives of the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) and through contributing to the implementation of its work plan;
• the development of strategies on the medium and long term to ensure the sustainability of the observing systems and of the delivery of products and services, taking into account, where relevant, the recommendations of Copernicus polar roadmap[5].

Proposals are expected to focus their scope on only one of the following region ‘areas’:

• Area A: ‘Arctic Ocean and coastal regions’

Proposals focusing on this region need to additionally take the following into account:

- The improvements of the overall observing systems should include community-based monitoring and the local, traditional and indigenous knowledge and where relevant, be co-designed with local communities and Indigenous peoples and with other relevant stake- and right-holders with view to, inter alia, developing products and services needed for adapting to the changing Arctic.

- The action should support the EU Arctic policy and the implementation of the Roadmap for Arctic Observing and Data Systems Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON-ROADS),[6] strengthen Arctic Ocean observations and their coordination, and ensure complementarities with the activities on societal benefit assessment of Arctic observing systems undertaken by the Joint Research Centre.

• Area B: ‘Antarctic shelves and Southern Ocean’

- Proposals focusing on this region should additionally support the establishment of the UN Ocean Decade programme Antarctica InSync[7] and contribute to the activities of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

In addition to the chosen regional scope (Area A or Area B), proposals should strengthen the coupling between the polar regions themselves, both for in-situ and satellite observations, for instance through harmonised observing strategies (including cost-effective and user-friendly methods to assess and optimize the design, investment in and operations of polar observing systems), harmonised measurement methodologies, the development of Shared Essential Polar Variables, and interoperable, Arctic and Antarctic data systems.

The proposal should also establish collaborations with other relevant projects such as HiAAOS,[8] POLARIN,[9] and other projects which are part of the EU Polar Cluster[10], as well as with relevant European research infrastructures.[11].

It should also take into consideration and support the valorisation of future Sentinel expansion missions: CIMR, CRISTAL, ROSE-L, with the possibility to co-ordinate with pre-launch campaigns like CRISTALair and CIMRair. This topic is part of a coordination initiative between ESA and the European Commission on Earth System Science. which supports complementary collaborative projects funded on the EC side through Horizon Europe and on the ESA side through the FutureEO programme. Proposals should include dedicated tasks, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with relevant ESA activities, including projects selected under the under the ESA Polar Science Cluster[12] and under the Invitation to Tender “ESA Sentinel User Preparation Polar Science Foundational Experiment” [13].

This action offers an opportunity for Europe to continue playing a leading role in Polar research and knowledge provision at the international level, thereby contributing to the implementation of the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative priority on Arctic Ocean Observing,[14] GEO Blue Planet Initiative, to the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance[15], the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). International cooperation is therefore encouraged, also with view to the 5th International Polar Year (2032-33).

[1] JOIN(2021) 27 final, “A stronger EU engagement for a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous Arctic”

[2] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters/european-digital-twin-ocean-european-dto_en

[3] https://destination-earth.eu/

[4] www.arctic.hub.copernicus.eu

[5] https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/copernicus-polar-roadmap-eu-satellite-observations-help-respond-emerging-polar-challenges-2024-09-03_en

[6] https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/74330

[7] https://oceandecade.org/actions/antarctica-insync

[8] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101094621

[9] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101130949

[10] https://polarcluster.eu/

[11] The catalogue of European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) research infrastructures portfolio can be browsed from ESFRI website https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/

[12] https://polarsciencecluster.esa.int

[13] https://eo4society.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/03e_SUP.pdf

[14] www.g7fsoi.org

[15] www.allatlanticocean.org