Modern environmental and societal pressures, ranging from intensifying climate extremes to resource insecurity, require an evolution in how we observe, measure, and govern our changing planet. Traditional boundaries between hardware engineering, data science, and public policy are increasingly insufficient for addressing complex global crises. This session highlights how next-generation geoscience instrumentation and data systems, such as IoT networks, autonomous platforms, and edge AI, serve as drivers of sustainable development and evidence-based governance.
While sensing innovation accelerates, critical gaps remain in translating raw technical measurements into actionable policy and equitable societal impact. This session examines how digital tools interact with institutional frameworks and local communities, focusing on bridging the digital divide between the Global South and North to promote digital sovereignty and inclusive participation.
Contributions are invited at the intersection of science, technology, and society, welcoming research involving the quadruple helix, engaging academia, public authorities, industry, and civil society, to co-design monitoring infrastructures and governance frameworks.
Areas of interest and priority:
• Innovative hardware, low-cost sensors, embedded systems, and autonomous platforms tailored for vulnerable environments;
• Edge AI and automated on-device processing algorithms for real-time anomaly detection and autonomous instrument responses;
• Multisource data integration fusing in-situ sensors with satellite observations to power continuous early-warning systems;
• Digital pipelines and spatial data infrastructures linking in-situ observations directly to institutional decision-making and risk reduction frameworks;
• Quadruple-helix partnerships and participatory co-design models incorporating civil society and local stakeholders into the monitoring lifecycle;
• Digital sovereignty, technology transfer, ethical data governance, and knowledge-sharing initiatives between the Global South and North;
• Applications aligning geoscience data systems with current international agreements and United Nations mandates, including the SDGs, the Sendai Framework and Ecosystem Restoration;
• Real-world field deployments and case studies addressing environmental change, natural hazards, and resource management.