Editors’ Highlights are summaries of recent papers by AGU’s journal editors.
Source: AGU Advances
Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) are recognized as central ethical commitments that strengthen science and expand its impact. However, their contribution to support continued innovation and the factual barriers and enablers are under-documented.
A new study from Naji and Reyes et al. [2026] addresses this gap. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with underrepresented and underserved Earth observation professionals and identified challenges and support they received during their career. Through these conversations, they identify barriers and enablers and discuss solutions. The authors present interesting quotes from the interviews that excellently convey the feelings and discouragement caused by the barriers and the enthusiasm and scientific benefit stimulated by successful enablers. The article provides an illuminating perspective on the real value of IDEA for the benefit of science and humanity.
Citation: Naji, N., Reyes, S. R., Crowley, M. A., Schenkein, S. F., González, M., Siwe, R., et al. (2026). Global perspectives on barriers and enablers to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in the field of Earth observation. AGU Advances, 7, e2025AV001858. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV001858
—Alberto Montanari, Editor-in-Chief, AGU Advances