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EU boosts cooperation in earth sciences with USGS

Xinhua, January 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Joint Research Center (JRC), the European Commission's in-house science service, said in a press release that it has concluded a comprehensive agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

This was aimed to further scientific and technical exchange, and increase the knowledge and capabilities of the JRC and the USGS in the field of earth sciences, said the press release.

New areas of cooperation would focus on issues that are becoming important to the European Union (EU), the United States of America and beyond, including ecosystem science; climate variability and land-use changes; energy, soil, minerals, and environmental health; natural hazards, risk, and resilience assessments; disaster alert-related applications; water resources and information technologies; and geo-spatial data management.

The implementing arrangement was in support of the agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the U.S. government and the European Commission, noted the press release.

The JRC and USGS have already had 10 years of cooperation in several areas, including Global Land Cover mapping, Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, security of supply of critical raw materials to advance the Kimberley Process, an international certification scheme which aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, said the press release. Endit