In some of the most critical areas of contemporary science, access to shared data constitutes a structural basis for generating knowledge. In fields such as meteorology, climate change, oceans, or global health, the generation of that knowledge relies on the integration of observations from multiple countries.
Scientific logic is expressed in global observation systems that gather distributed data and allow for the description and analysis of phenomena such as atmospheric circulation, ocean evolution, or the global spread of diseases.
From this need, international data exchange networks have emerged that operate as an invisible infrastructure. In meteorology, for example, systems coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization connect stations, satellites, and prediction centers from different countries and allow for the exchange of information in near real-time on a global scale. In the study of oceans, the international program IODE coordinates networks of centers that collect and share oceanographic observations. In global health, platforms like GISAID enable the sharing of genomic sequences of viruses and tracking their evolution.
This network of networks is complemented by operational infrastructures specifically designed to organize and circulate this data on a large scale. In the European context, the program Copernicus is one of the most advanced examples: a system that combines satellites, sensors, and processing platforms to generate information about the state of the planet and distribute it openly among administrations, companies, and international organizations.
At a global level, these infrastructures are integrated into broader coordination systems. The most relevant is the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems), a “system of systems” that connects multiple existing observation networks —satellites, weather stations, ocean sensors, or national systems— so that they operate in a coordinated manner and the data can be used jointly.
However, data can have economic value, security implications, or strategic utility, which introduces incentives to limit access or control its use. When these are not exchanged regularly, are shared with delays, or are not available under comparable conditions, each country operates with a partial view of reality, making it difficult to anticipate risks, adjust models, or coordinate decisions.
In recent international forums, such as the United Nations Water Convention, various countries have pointed out that the lack of data exchange remains one of the main obstacles to cooperation in transboundary watersheds. In the health sector, during the COVID19 pandemic, it was already evident how differences in data reporting and access hindered comparison between countries and coordination of responses. On a climatic scale, limitations in access to certain satellite data continue to condition its use in research and policy definition.
These examples reflect a broader dynamic in which access to data directly conditions the capacity of States to act. In that space operates scientific diplomacy, which supports the agreements and practices that make exchange between countries possible. Although it goes unnoticed in public debate, this continuous flow of information is part of the conditions that allow for anticipating risks, managing crises, and sustaining planetary security in an increasingly interdependent environment.
Sources: European Space Agency (ESA) and European Commission, documentation on the Copernicus program as a European Earth observation system; GISAID, international platform for genomic data exchange; Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and documentation on the GEOSS system; World Meteorological Organization (WMO), on global observation and data exchange networks.