On behalf of the ICEO&SI 2012 organizer, it’s my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the International Conference on Earth Observations and Societal Impacts Conference. Followed the legacy bestowed by the ICEO&SI 2011 Conference, the ICEO&SI Meeting this year broadens it scope and scale in order for more contributions to the comprehension of the changing world. We have 12 oral sessions and a poster exhibition. Except for the sessions focused as last year on topics of ecosystem, biodiversity, disasters, water, weather and climate, in this year we add the sessions of Water & Land Subsidence, Agriculture/Forestry/Fishery and Business.

      With your contributions and support, we have received registrations from 10 different countries/regions. More than 90 abstracts have been submitted and invited for oral and poster presentations. Geography has long been paying great attentions on earth observations and societal impacts. As the Chairman of Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, I sincerely hope this conference can promote and help advancing scientific understanding of earth observations and societal impacts, as well as make geography more connected to various academic disciplines. At the same time, it also provides a very good platform and opportunity for us to share ideas and findings, and to learn from each other. In the days ahead, let us think together how ICEO&SI can contribute to understand future changes in our earth and to provide advice and leadership.

     I’m very glad to have this opportunity to express my warm appreciation to all of the chairmen of committees of Taiwan Group on Earth Observations, and all the session conveners for their support, suggestion and help from the very beginning to the present, and to all the sponsors for their generosity. I also wish to express my appreciation to all the participants for your interests and attendance!