AfriGEOSS - An Initiative to Implement GEOSS in Africa

Andiswa Mlisa

GEO-X Plenary, 15 – 16 January 2014, Geneva, Switzerland

© GEO Secretariat

Africa in Context …The Size of Africa

Europe

China

Argentina

India

USA“48 States”

New Zealand

China 9,596,960 Km2

USA 9,363,071 Km2

India 3,287,590 Km2

Europe 4,936,973 Km2

Argentina 2,766,890 Km2

New Zealand 268,680 Km2

TOTAL : 30,220,164 km2

Area of Africa: 30,318,830 km2

Source: World Factbook,

Africa covers 20% of Earth’s land surface

Accounts for 15% of the world’s total human population

Africa in Context

Political Call for Action

…to create a world where decisions and actions are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and

sustained Earth observations WSSD 2002

African Participation in GEOMember States (22):oAlgeriaoBurkina FasooCameroonoCentral African RepublicoCongo, Republic of the oCote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)oEgyptoEthiopiaoGabonoGhanaoGuinea-BissauoGuinea, Republic ofoMadagascaroMalioMauritiusoMoroccooNigeroNigeriaoSouth AfricaoSudanoTunisiaoUganda

Participating Organizations (5):o AARSEo ACMADo EIS-Africao RCMRDo UNECA

Coordinate and bring together relevant

stakeholders, institutions and agencies across

Africa

Provide a platform for countries to participate

in GEO and to contribute to GEOSS;

Assist in knowledge sharing and global

collaborations;

Identify challenges, gaps and opportunities for

African contributions to GEO and GEOSS;

Leverage existing capacities and planned

assets and resources; and

Objectives

Letters to GEO Principals asking

for information on existing and

planned activities related to the

enhancement of capacity of

African countries

Engagement with African Union

Commission

Launched 5th November 2013,

joint AfricaGIS2013 & GSDI

2014, Ethiopia 2013

Stakeholder Workshop on 6th

November 2013

Progress to Date Endorsed by GEO-IX Plenary,

Brazil, November 2012

Bottom up and top-down approach;

Address both infrastructure and services/application components,

based on the build-up of sub regional networks;

Develop sub regional roadmaps

Re-establish strong contacts with GEO Principals and enlargement of

the GEO partnership in Africa;

Develop an extensive inventory of current and planned initiatives and

available resources and map initiative to AfriGEOSS objectives;

Link existing initiatives, not yet connected to GEO;

Leverage resources to fill identified gaps;

Influence upcoming initiatives;

Raise awareness and outreach

Implementation Approach

Organisational Arrangement

Steering or Advisory Committee

Working Group

Sub-regional focal points

National focal points

GEOSS for AFRICACBERS Africa, GEONETCast, SERVIR Africa, Sand and Dust Storm Warning System, AEGOS, Wildland Fire Early Warning System, Puma, AMESD, BIOTA, TIGER, SoDa, MERIT, African Protected Areas, ClimDev Africa, ChlorOGIN, FAO-AfriCover, MAFA, ARMC, EAMNET, WATPLAN, AFRIMASON, GARNET-E, SAGA-EO, EOPower, GEONETCab, AGRICAB, MESA, GEO Global Land Cover, GMES & Africa, GEO BON, GEO GLAM; GFOI; Africa Water Cycle, Blue Planet; etc.

ECOWAS

CEMAC+RdC

IGAD

SADC-RdC

IOC

ESA-IO= IGAD+IOC

ECOWAS

CEMAC+RdC

IGAD

SADC-RdC

IOC

ESA-IO= IGAD+IOC

THANK YOU