The Global Terrestrial Observing System was established in 1996 in response to a growing need for understanding the effects of global change in terrestrial ecosystems on sustainable development. The five sponsors - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) collaborate to promote stronger links between scientists and policy makers.
A GTOS Steering Committee (GTSC) assists in the implementation of GTOS and guides the scientific and technical content of the programme. At present, it consists of 18 members from 15 different countries and one representative for each co-sponsor (see annex 1). The GTSC establishes and updates requirements, reviews existing programmes to assess their ability to meet requirements, and recommends enhancements or new initiatives.
The first meeting of the GTSC (2-5 December 1996, Rome, Italy) defined a short-term implementation strategy and addressed a number of issues regarding the way in which GTOS will work with other global change groups, in particular the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).
Working groups were established to define and further develop priority issues relating to biodiversity, coastal areas, earth sciences, site criteria, socio-economic issues, and the GTOS implementation plan. Among these, the latter group has been most active, working through the GTOS listserver to post information and exchange views.
A small Secretariat located at FAO in Rome supports the GTSC and is responsible for day-to-day programme implementation and for maintaining communication between members and liaison with outside organizations.
