A wide spectrum of public sector organisations is engaged in the long-term monitoring and observation of the natural and built environment. The resulting evidence is used by scientists, managers and policy makers to:
a) assess compliance with environmental standards, and
b) develop a clearer understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change in order to inform approaches to mitigation and adaptation.
The UK Environmental Observation Framework (UKEOF) was established in 2008 in response to a growing need for closer communication between organisations with respect to evidence needs, improved efficiency of data collection and the sharing of observation plans, programmes and data.
The UKEOF conference will bring together public sector providers and analysts of long-term data with researchers and a broad range of stakeholders with interests in environmental change. It will provide a range of examples of current activities and what is being learnt from them, consider opportunities for synergies and efficiencies through more joined up activities and adoption of novel technologies, and attempt to identify areas where important lines of evidence are currently most lacking and what can be done to address these. Outcomes from the event will help inform UKEOF’s future strategic direction.
Keynote talks will be provided by senior representatives from Defra and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and a range of examples of activities and application will be presented by other organisations including the Environment Agency, the UK Space Agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Health Protection England, the British Geological Survey, the Woodlands Trust and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
More information
Registration fee: £36
For more information, to view the programme and to register, please visit the UKEOF website. The closing date for registering is 18 February.
Further opportunities for organisations to promote the nature and outcomes of their monitoring initiatives will be available in the form of a lunchtime poster session, and speaker panels will address questions raised by conference delegates. Poster proposals are being accepted, but the deadline is 31 January.