The Sahara and Sahel Observatory participated to the 1st GMES and AFRICA Consortia Information Exchange and Technical Workshop in Nairobi, from 23rd to 27th April 2018. This workshop has been set for the selected consortia to continue discussions around the services they propose to deliver, in view of the Tunisia meeting scheduled in May with the European partners.
The Consortia will contribute at the local, national and regional levels to the GMES and AFRICA Programme.
Hence, on one hand it is important for them to well understand they work under one banner, the Programme main strategies, but also to know each other activities, to visualize possible areas of common interest where resources can be shared.
In this respect, the meeting analyzed the details of each proposal and identified capacity needs with a view to strengthen various elements. The meeting also identified different needs (such as data, infrastructure, skills, etc.) of the consortia to better inform the capacity building framework. In addition, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and organizations took part in the meeting, with an objective of strengthening the nexus for regional coordination and policy guidance.
On the other hand, the meeting is a way for the Programme management Team to continue collecting needs and expectations, notably in terms of technical assistance. The meeting gives the RECs and the Regional organizations an opportunity to plan the Regional Implementation Advisory Committees where matters relating to the region and GMES & Africa services will be discussed.
Key findings on the precise needs of each consortia will lead to a more focused implementation plan for each of the consortia. And, altogether, these elements will ease the monitoring, both for the consortia and the African Union Commission.
Funded by the European Union through the Commission of the African Union, GMES & Africa Program, aims to support decision making in the field of sustainable management of water and natural resources through the provision of products and services developed from the data and Earth Observation techniques. The Action will set-up two Services through African thematic, scientific and academic networks, in cooperation with European partners: Natural and Water Resources Service and a Marine and Coastal Service.
OSS is the regional implementation center for “Global Monitoring for Environment and Security” in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia). Its role is to support decision making in the sustainable management of water and natural resources through the provision of products and services based on Earth Observation data and techniques, from 2018 to 2021.