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SEDAC has released a new version of its Web site with several important enhancements. A new theme menu option enables users to view only those data and information resources directly relevant to specific topics such as agriculture and food security; climate impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation; and hazards and disaster risk. Users may also now view SEDAC data holdings at the collection level, i.e., by groups of related data sets, rather than by individual data set. Data downloads have been simplified, and a new map “widget” has been added to the map gallery to provide rapid browsing of available data layers. The new Web site also provides access to new and updated data sets on environmental indicators, historical sulfur dioxide emissions, and national-level population, landscape, and climate estimates (see Recent Releases on the home page).

Two new scientific data initiatives at national and international levels were the focus of meetings held October 1–3 in Arlington, Virginia and October 4-5 in Boulder, Colorado. CIESIN director Robert Chen participated in the first event, a planning meeting of the Research Data Alliance, a proposed new international initiative aimed at accelerating international data-driven innovation and discovery. The Alliance, which is expected to be formally launched in March 2013, is working to identify international partnerships and activities that would facilitate research data sharing and exchange, data discovery, use, and re-use, and coordination and harmonization of standards.

CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs attended the second event, a National Science Foundation (NSF) principal investigator meeting for EarthCube, a NSF initiative to develop community-guided cyberinfrastructure to integrate data and information for knowledge management across the Geosciences. Held at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) of the University of Colorado, the meeting brought together representatives from the geoscience research and education communities to discuss the development of EarthCube. Downs served as the co-facilitator and co-presenter, with Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for a session on Education, Outreach, and Social Systems. He is also the lead of EarthCube’s Education and Workforce Development special interest group.

CIESIN will again participate in the annual Lamont-Doherty Open House Saturday, October 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Lamont Campus of Columbia University in Palisades, New York. The Open House was begun several decades ago to educate and inform the general public, teachers, and students of all ages. Research facilities will be open and tents set up over several acres of the campus, offering diverse scientific exhibits, hands-on demonstrations, lectures, and other activities organized by hundreds of scientists, staff, and students from Columbia’s Earth Institute. CIESIN’s exhibits this year will include a live demonstration of the CHANGE viewer, a tool for mapping climate change prediction data and population information; posters and demonstrations about other CIESIN projects, tools, and data; and a hands-on mapping game for children. The Open House is suitable for individuals of all ages. “Kid friendly” exhibits will be specially identified. For more information or directions, see the Lamont-Doherty Web site.

Coordinated management of scientific data used in assessing climate change impacts, adaptation, vulnerability, and mitigation is the primary focus of an international team established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA). At the TGICA's 18th meeting, hosted September 18–20 by the Voeilov Main Geophysical Observatory in St. Petersburg in the Russian Federation, the TGICA reviewed current efforts to archive and disseminate the latest outputs from dozens of climate models, to develop consistent socioeconomic and emission scenarios for use in the IPCC's Fifth Assessment, and to update and expand the IPCC Data Distribution Centre (DDC). CIESIN director Robert Chen, in his capacity as an ex officio member of the TGICA and co-manager of the DDC, led discussions at the meeting on data needs of the international research community, approaches to data attribution, and development of regional entry points to the DDC. Senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing also participated in the meeting to help plan changes to the DDC, which is co-managed by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN.

Every year NASA conducts a survey of users of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) to assess their satisfaction with the data, tools, and support provided by EOSDIS data centers and services. SEDAC is one of the NASA EOSDIS centers evaluated by the survey. A limited number of SEDAC data users received an email invitation in early September from the CFI Group on behalf of NASA, asking them to participate in an anonymous, Web-based survey about the quality and utility of SEDAC products and services, and the ease of access to SEDAC resources. The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and optional comment fields are provided to address user concerns.

SEDAC users who have not yet received an invitation directly are welcome to contact the CFI Group at nasasurvey@cfigroup.com, providing an email address and self-identifying as a SEDAC data user. Invitations should not be forwarded to others, but others may be referred to the above email address.

SEDAC encourages all of its users to participate in the survey. Feedback affects future performance, identifies high priority user needs and concerns, and helps to justify NASA's continuing investment in EOSDIS data services and support. Past surveys have provided important inputs into the development of the redesigned SEDAC Web site, and user comments help to further improve SEDAC data and services.

Bonn, Germany was the venue for the Second GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholders Workshop August 28-31, which addressed the theme of "Supporting Science for the Millennium Development Goals and Beyond." The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), intended to improve access to and the use of Earth observations for a broad range of stakeholders. Alex de Sherbinin, senior research associate with CIESIN and deputy manager of the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), gave a presentation on spatial poverty assessments, drawing in part on poverty mapping and related data available from SEDAC. The workshop focused on contributions by the GEO community to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), featuring presentations and discussions on food and water security, natural disasters, and biodiversity and ecosystem services. A draft report is under development.

Geospatial data and services have become invaluable resources for many international organizations like the United Nations and its agencies. At the Second Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNCE-GGIM) held at UN Headquarters in New York City August 13-15, more than 180 representatives of member countries, UN bodies, and interested nongovernmental organizations met to coordinate and promote common practices, policies, mechanisms and standards for the interoperability of geospatial data and services. Associate director Mark Becker participated in the meeting as an observer representing CIESIN, which is a nongovernmental organization recognized by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Issues discussed at the meeting included preparation of a Global Map for Sustainability, adoption of a common global geodetic referencing system, development of regional spatial data infrastructures, and ethical issues related to the acquisition, distribution, and use of geospatial data.

CyberGIS'12, the First International Conference on Space, Time, and CyberGIS, brought together a range of researchers, educators, and practitioners to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign August 6-9 to examine the state-of-the-art in developing cyberinfrastructure to advance geospatial sciences and technologies. CIESIN associate director Mark Becker was invited to participate in the Community Building session on the afternoon of August 6. Keynote speakers at the conference included Prof. Michael Goodchild, former chair of the User Working Group of the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN, and Daniel Atkins, who was the first director of the Office of Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation. The conference was hosted by the The CyberInfrastructure and Geospatial Information Laboratory (CIGI) at the University of Illinois and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo was one of more than 50 participants in a "National Workshop on Disasters, Risk Management and Vulnerability: Strengthening the Integration of Natural and Social Sciences with Managers" held in Buenos Aires July 31. The workshop addressed the need for a common and up-to date information system, available to all risk managers at the national, provincial and municipality levels, and for a national coordination strategy among different scientific and technical institutions and organizations for decision making in the event of natural disasters. Adamo addressed the issue of identifying and characterizing key indicators of social vulnerability to disasters in her presentation and led a working group on this topic. The workshop was organized by the National Directorate of Civil Protection and the National Research Council of Argentina, and sponsored by the Ministry of Interior and Transportation and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“Where the Rain Falls,” a project led by the development non-governmental organization CARE, working with the United Nations University (UNU) and CIESIN, has released a new set of case studies and associated maps examining the interplay between rainfall patterns, food security, and human mobility. Field research was conducted in eight countries—Bangladesh, India, Guatemala, Peru, Ghana, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam—using participatory research, household surveys, and expert interviews. The research aims to answer the question, Under what circumstances do households use migration as a risk management strategy in response to increasing rainfall variability and food insecurity?

This is the second time that CIESIN has partnered with CARE and UNU to produce maps that complement findings from ground-based research on climate change and migration. In 2009 they produced the maps and data visualizations for In Search of Shelter. The integration of data from multiple sources in visually attractive maps helps tell the story about migration in a way that written narratives alone cannot accomplish.

An international group of multidisciplinary researchers and computer scientists met in Annapolis July 23–24 to discuss the visualization of socio-environmental systems, with examples drawn from urban design for sustainability and climate change to biodiversity conservation. The workshop was hosted by the recently established National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), a multi-year NSF synthesis center. CIESIN senior research associate and SEDAC deputy director Alex de Sherbinin presented a poster on CIESIN and SEDAC data visualization, using examples from the SEDAC map gallery, research on climate change and migration, the Environmental Performance Index, and the SEDAC map client. He also gave a short presentation on various SEDAC data products. Keynote presentations were given by Ben Schneiderman of University of Maryland and Stephen Sheppard of the University of British Columbia.

A training workshop on scientific data management and sustainable development was held in Beijing July 16–27 with fourteen participants from nine different countries in Asia and Africa. CIESIN director Robert Chen, associate director Mark Becker, senior digital archivist Robert Downs, and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing gave lectures during the workshop on a range of topics including data integration methods, data management and stewardship, and use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods. The workshop was organized by the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and hosted by the CAS Computer Network Information Center. CODATA president Huadong Guo of the CAS Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE) welcomed the group, and Robert Chen, in his capacity as CODATA secretary general, gave an introductory talk on CODATA's strategic role in international science.

Associate research scientist Susana Adamo was a keynote speaker at the Social Work and Social Development: Action and Impact conference held in Stockholm July 8–12. The conference was jointly organized by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Adamo’s presentation, “Migration, Displacement, and Climate Change,” was related to “Migration in a Transforming World,” a sub-topic of the third day’s theme, “Global Social Transformation and Social Action.”

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released its Fifth Global Environmental Outlook, a significant review and analysis of the states, trends, and outlook of the global environment, developed as a contribution to this week's 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy and Earth Institute Fellow Alexandra Morel were coordinating lead authors of chapter 1 of the report, which assessed the drivers of environmental change. Associate research scientist Susana Adamo was also a lead author of this chapter.

One week before the opening of the "Rio+20" United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an international forum was held to call attention to the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in sustainable development. Held June 11–15 at the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio, the conference was organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU), in partnership with UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo co-chaired a plenary session on Human Well-being and Population Change, in which she gave a presentation on “Migration, Environment and Development.” She also presented “Developing Global Socioeconomic Data Sets for Integration with Environmental Data" at a side event, “Sharing and Stewardship of Scientific Data for Improved Decision Making and Sustainable Development,” organized by the ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA). Among the featured events at the Forum was the launch of a new 10-year global initiative, “Future Earth.”

A diverse group of social and natural scientists and practitioners gathered at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado June 12-14 for a Workshop on Defining, Measuring, and Communicating the Socioeconomic Benefits of Geospatial Information. Organized under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), this workshop followed up on two previous GEO workshops held in 2010 and 2011 with a focus on quantitative socioeconomic methodologies and metrics for assessing and communicating the value of geospatial information. CIESIN director Robert Chen gave a presentation on science perspectives on valuation of geospatial data in the concluding session on next steps. He was also a co-author of a poster presentation with CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs on "Assessing the Value of Data to Science and Applications." A key output of the workshop was a set of suggestions on how to develop a multidisciplinary "community of practice" that could contribute to a coordinated research program on valuation of geospatial data and information.

Left to right: Elizabeth Moss, Robert Downs, and Hailey Mooney, with the poster on data citation they co-authored with others for IASSIST 2012.

Robert Downs, senior digital archivist at CIESIN, participated in IASSIST 2012, the 38th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Social Science Information Services and Technology. The meeting, which focused on the theme, "Data Science for a Connected World: Unlocking and Harnessing the Power of Information," was hosted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and held June 4–8 at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. On June 6, Downs gave a presentation, “Improving the Trustworthiness of an Interdisciplinary Scientific Data Archive," co-authored with CIESIN director Robert Chen. Downs also co-presented the poster, "Data Citation: IASSIST Takes Action!,” which was co-authored with Michelle Edwards of the University of Guelph, Michele Hayslett of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Barbara Mento of Boston College, Hailey Mooney of the Michigan State University Libraries, Elizabeth Moss and Mary Vardigan of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan, and Michael Witt of the Purdue University Libraries. Downs also served on the Program Committee for IASSIST 2012.

The User Working Group (UWG) of SEDAC, the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center operated by CIESIN, met in Washington, D.C. June 6-8. Chaired by Dr. Molly Macauley of Resources for the Future, the UWG provides SEDAC with strategic guidance regarding the data and information needs of the users served by SEDAC and also reviews specific SEDAC data development and dissemination plans. At the June meeting, the UWG reviewed SEDAC's progress in improving its web site, implementing new outreach strategies, and assessing scientific citations of SEDAC data. The UWG also provided feedback on SEDAC's plans related to disaster loss data and the development of an integrated data collection on wetlands of international importance. Dr. Lee Schwartz, the State Department Geographer, was invited to meet with the UWG to discuss user needs for human geography data in support of humanitarian and national security priorities. SEDAC's NASA program scientist, Craig Dobson, along with several staff members from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, also participated in the meeting.

CIESIN senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin presents a paper on lessons learned from climate hotspots mapping. Adaptation Futures: 012 International Conference on Climate Adaptation, Tucson, Arizona, May 30.

CIESIN senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin and deputy director Marc Levy participated in Adaptation Futures: 2012 International Conference on Climate Adaptation, held May 29–31 in Tucson, Arizona. de Sherbinin chaired a session on vulnerability assessments methodologies, and also presented two papers: “Climate Hotspots Mapping: What have We Learned?” and “Government-led Displacement and Resettlement Due to Climate Change.” Levy gave a presentation as part of a panel on "Data Priorities for Global Adaptation Research." On June 1, de Sherbinin led a user workshop on Data Gaps for Research and Action on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation, organized by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) jointly with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA) and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (UNU-IHDP). Approximately 50 participants spanning a range of disciplines, user communities, and world regions attended.

Several CIESIN staff participated in the recent conference, Initiative on Climate Adaptation Research and Understanding through the Social Sciences (ICARUS III), held at Columbia University May 18–20. The theme of the meeting was scales, frameworks, and metrics. Senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin gave a presentation, “Climate Hotspots Mapping: What Have We Learned?” Associate research scientist Susana Adamo, senior staff associate Sandra Baptista, and associate research scientist Sylwia Trzaska also attended. The ICARUS initiative, begun in 2009, focuses on social-scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding climate-related vulnerabilities, risks, and human and ecosystem responses over time and across scales.