GMES Africa The perspective from the African Regional Economic Communities, ACP Secretariat and AUC/REA Presented by Gina Bonne, Indian Ocean Commission Belgian EU Presidency event “Space and African Citizen” 16 September 2010

Outlook Background on GMES Africa Preparatory activities undertaken in support to the GMES Africa initiative Priorities that RECs are willing to develop

Introduction Usefulness of Earth Observation in support to decision making processes in Africa in various domain has been demonstrated through numerous projects: ▫EDF funded project: PUMA, AMESD ▫EUMETSAT support activities ▫ESA project: TIGER ▫Research project: DevCoCast, VGT4Africa, EAMNET... All initiative supported the use of existing operational Earth Observation data in Africa for environmental applications RECs, ACP Secretariat and AUC/REA are willing to strengthen the use of Earth Observation data in support to policy making process in Africa:

Background GMES Africa initiated through the Maputo Declaration signed in October 2006 by AUC/REA, ACP Secretariat and RECs and requesting: ▫Propose an extension of European GMES initiative to Africa in support to African Development and Environment policies ▫Funding through the 10 th EDF During 2007 AUC-REA, RECs and ACP Secretariat have detailed their expectation for GMES Africa: ▫Concept note on GMES Africa (Addis, October 2007) ▫Presentation of the Concept note by AUC/REA at the Lisbon Event (December 2007)

Background EU provided a very positive response to the Maputo Declaration in Lisbon in 2007: ▫The Lisbon Declaration, launching the Lisbon process on GMES and Africa: the draft of an action plan; ▫GMES Africa initiative is part of the 8 th EU-Africa Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space (with link to the Partnership #6 through AMESD)

Background Work has been on-going in : ▫On one side: Drafting of an Action Plan and associated High Level Strategic Document ▫On the other side: the RECs, ACP Secretariat and AUC/REA (the institutional African AMESD stakeholders) have pursued along the line defined in the Maputo to prepare for a 10 th EDF project

GMES Africa Concept presented by REC, ACP Sec and AUC-REA in Lisbon The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (GMES Africa) initiative aims at strengthening the capacities and developing infrastructure for the intense and coherent exploitation by African users of Earth Observation (space and in-situ), data, technologies and services in support of the environmental policies for sustainable development in Africa.

Priorities Consolidate the results of AMESD as an input for GMES Africa ▫On African human resources and capacities ▫Infrastructures ▫Networking Sustain the efforts and secure financial investment made in the past (PUMA, AMESD) Avoid gap after the end of AMESD (2012) Launch activities identified in the GMES Africa Action Plan Coordinate the mobilisation of funds for the new project (10th EDF RIP and intra-ACP)

GMES Africa : building on AMESD AMESD has already activities in line with the GMES Africa Action Plan (AP): ▫Infrastructure (Chapter 3 of GMES Africa AP) ▫Capacity Building (Chapter 2 of GMES Africa AP) ▫Institutional Building (Chapter 1 of GMES Africa AP) AMESD 5 thematic actions are in line with the themes identified in the GMES Africa AP => AMESD contributes already to GMES Africa

Priorities RECs/ACP Secretariat and AUC/REA are willing : ▫to strengthen the themes of AMESD and to develop new themes (e.g. operational services) at regional and continental level ▫To continue with capacity building, institutional and infrastructure activities. All proposed elements are in-line with the elements of the GMES Africa AP (themes and cross-cutting chapter) The new EDF project will be a essential contribution to the GMES Africa initiative

GMES Africa – expectation from the High level strategic document Long term vision for the next 20 years A clear political support for Earth Observation in Africa Letting the possibilities for: Funding mobilisation processes Several projects with various funds will be needed over a long period