GEO Mountains recently revitalised its Task Groups under the 2023–2025 Implementation Plan, with Task Group 1 (TG1) focusing on maintaining and enhancing our In Situ and General Inventories. A feedback survey that took place from 16 October–20 December 2024 gathered user perspectives on both tools. The component of the survey focused on the General Inventory was completed by 17 people, while 19 people responded to the component focused on the In Situ Inventory.

While the full survey results are available in the downloadable meeting slides, key takeaways included:

• The General Inventory helps users discover relevant datasets and resources, with participants suggesting improvements like broader regional coverage, refined metadata, and a dedicated web application.
• The In Situ Inventory is valued for locating monitoring stations, with calls for more frequent updates, enhanced mapping features, and expanded data from national agencies.

Following the survey, TG1 held its first meeting on 12 March 2025 to discuss the survey’s findings, refine priorities, and plan next steps. Although attendance was limited to six participants, several valuable insights and suggestions were provided. The meeting began with an overview of GEO Mountains, TG1’s objectives, and a review of the two inventories. The survey results (outlined above) then served as a basis for discussion. 

Fig. 1: One of the results of the General Inventory Feedback Survey.

Fig. 2: One of the results of the In Situ Inventory Feedback Survey.

Participants also suggested their priorities for potential improvements. This feedback will guide GEO Mountains in updating both inventories for their next release, planned for late 2025. 

Key discussion points included:

• Emphasis was placed on improving the mapping tool for the In Situ Inventory. Survey feedback suggested that enhancements such as advanced filtering, clearer categorization, and robust search options would greatly benefit users.

• The topic of hydrometeorological data from national agencies also emerged. Some participants proposed that GEO Mountains should take the initiative to engage with these agencies and discuss their data-sharing policies in order to incorporate such stations and links to associated data in the In Situ Inventory. Notably, this issue was already discussed during past GEO Mountains Regional Workshops and is currently under consideration as part of Phase 2 of Adaptation at Altitude.

• Another suggestion was to conduct regional surveys for various groups to contribute data to both inventories, and to consider splitting the General Inventory into separate regional files to better cater to local needs.

• A recurring feedback point was the low level of awareness about the inventories, despite their perceived unique value. This led to discussions on boosting communication efforts through tutorial videos, informative articles, or case studies that demonstrate real-world applications. One participant even recommended developing a “state of the art” resource or a bibliography of publications that have utilized the inventory.
• Finally, some participants argued that prioritising “mountain-specific” data might be more beneficial, given that available platforms like Google Earth Engine already provide extensive global datasets.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the survey and meeting for sharing their time and insights. If you’d like more details, slides from the meeting are available for download, and a recording can be provided upon request. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with TG1 members to implement these enhancements, and encourage anyone else interested in contributing to reach out to the GEO Mountains Secretariat.

 Cover photo by Kasra Rasaee on Unsplash.