Main Title: Contribution to the Implémentation of the African Space Program; EO Data and Infrastructure Sub Title: Ground Infrastructure – Data Access, Archiving Processing and Disemination Moderator: Erick Khamala Rapporteur: Ayman Mahmoud Event: AfriGEOSS Symposium Session: 9b Date: 29th April 2016 Place: Elephant Hills Hotel, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Excerpts from the African Space Policy & Strategy Projected 1-Year Outcomes: Approval and rollout of a human capital and infrastructure development plan Projected 5-Year Outcomes: Appropriate technology platforms in place to support the building blocks of a continental space programme Operational and on-going developments of space application services and products for the broader public good Projected 10-Year Outcomes: Resident space capacity both in terms of technology platforms and human capital Appropriate services and products relating to space applications

Key aspects on EO Data Management articulated in the African Space Policy & Strategy Data reception Data access Data storage & archiving Data/information dissemination Data processing Policies Institutional frameworks Human resources Enabling environment etc Other key considerations

Key questions to be addressed What is the current status of EO ground infrastructure in Africa? How can Africa leverage on this infrastructure to best advance its space program? To meet user needs in Africa, what are the main gaps relating to: EO data access infrastructure EO data management infrastructure (archival, processing & dissemination) What strategy and plans should be in place to fully exploit the complementarity of existing and planned ground infrastructure at continental, regional and national levels to successfully address EO user needs, especially in the context of the African space policy & strategy? How does Africa best implement the concept of “bring the people to the data instead of data to the people”? (if at all) How can the EO community leverage infrastructure (including ICT) from other domains such as research networks and SKA?

Panellists Ground receiving infrastructure: Isaac Kusane, Botswana Department of Meteorological Services (MESA SADC THEMA) with contributions from EUMETSAT John Kiema, Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) Idah Sithole, Research Council of Zimbabwe Data dissemination infrastructure: Giovanni Rum, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat Stuart Minchin, Geoscience Australia (Remote Presentation) Bruce Becker, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa Networks Oma Oaiya and Yousef Torman, West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN) and Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) in collaboration with Yousef Torman, Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) and Bonny Khunga, Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN on behalf of Ubuntunet Alliance)

Thank you!