GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is the name of the Earth Observation programme launched by the European Commission and the European Space Agency. The objective of GMES is to monitor and forecast the state of the environment on land, at sea and in the atmosphere and to improve the security of the citizens in a world facing an increased risk of natural and other disasters.
Information gathered and relayed by GMES helps to improve the management of our natural resources, monitor the quality of the water we drink or swim in, monitor and forecast the pollution of the air we breathe, plan our cities and prevent urban sprawl, ease the flow of transportation, optimise our agricultural activities and promote the development of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, GMES will enhance the safety of nations and citizens in numerous ways, for example by providing early warning of natural disasters and supporting the management of humanitarian or regional crises, forest fires and floods, thereby helping to prevent loss of life and damage to property. It will also provide a basis for enhanced modelling and forecasting activities to help improve our understanding of the drivers of climate change and mitigate its consequences.
GMES does not replace existing European capacities, but rather complements them with a view to fulfilling user needs and guaranteeing sustainability and European Earth Observation autonomy in the long term.
