EuroGOOS at the EU Arctic Forum 2026: The Future of Arctic Observations

EuroGOOS Secretary-General Renuka Badhe participated in the EU Arctic Forum 2026 in Brussels, joining the side event “The Future of Arctic Observations” on 3 September.

Organised by the European Commission in association with the European External Action Service, the EU Arctic Forum, Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue and Arctic Youth Dialogue brought together representatives from governments, international organisations, research, industry, civil society, and Indigenous and local communities to discuss current developments and future challenges in the Arctic.

The side event “The Future of Arctic Observations”, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), explored how to advance from fragmented and project-based observing efforts towards sustained, coordinated and integrated Arctic observing systems.

The discussion highlighted the importance of long-term support for observing infrastructure, stronger connections between in situ and satellite observations, accessible and interoperable data, and close collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local Arctic communities.

The discussion also looked ahead to opportunities offered by OceanEye and the International Polar Year 2032–2033 to strengthen international cooperation and build lasting Arctic observing capacity.

For EuroGOOS, sustained Arctic observations are essential to understanding a rapidly changing ocean and delivering the knowledge needed by science, policy and society. Achieving this requires long-term commitment and stronger coordination across regional, European and global ocean observing efforts.