Africa is the centre of attention. Politicians have focused on poverty and the health problems as exemplified in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG), among the aims of which are reversal of the spread of disease, ensuring environmental sustainability and creating global partnership for development. The International Council for Science (ICSU), with an office in Africa, aims to strengthen international science for the benefit of society. For Africa this means providing scientific networks and initiating new networks; promotion and facilitation of capacity building, including support for postgraduate training programmes for young scientists, and procurement of educational and research facilities.

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) too has programmes focused on Africa, and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) aims to co-ordinate earth-observation activities for the benefit of society and as a basis for sound decision making. GEOSS intends to produce a comprehensive review and analysis of gaps and methodologies based on existing capacity-building efforts, and to facilitate the maintenance and strengthening of education and training. It also wants to develop a network of experts involved in existing capacity-building initiatives in earth observation. Following the UNISPACE III conference held in Vienna, Austria in July 1999, the European and French space agencies (ESA and CNES) initiated an international charter entitled Space and Major Disasters, which commits signatories to providing data when a disaster strikes. Other agencies have now signed up to this.

Many of these activities are centred on disaster management and the infrastructure required for prediction and management. One, specifically aimed at disaster management, is the University Network for Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa (UNEDRA), formed during a workshop held at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda in September 2005. Organised by the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), the Netherlands, and the Department of Geography at Makerere University within the framework of the United Nations University Programme on Disaster Risk Information Management, the workshop aimed at forging interaction among universities in Africa. In particular those interested in teaching disaster-risk reduction through information sharing, capacity building and collaborative research. The objective of the network is to share experience in course activities already initiated and to identify universities interested in developing collaborative disaster-reduction courses and joint education and training activities. It is also intended to develop joint research activities and support the setting up of educational programmes in Geo-information for Disaster Management.

A key component of most programmes for Africa is capacity building: efforts aimed at developing human skills or social infrastructures needed within a community or organisation to reduce the level of risk. Capacity-building for geospatial information involves the provision of facilities, programmes or other resources in the area of geospatial information to help develop a community’s ability to perform specific tasks requiring geospatial information. It includes building institutions, training, scientific networking, ensuring suitable employment is available, developing infrastructure and providing equipment.

Many initiatives exist in the area of the environment and geomatics. FIG, ICA, AIG and ISPRS, working together through the Joint Board of Geospatial information Societies (JBGIS), have initiated several projects. A new one is Mapping Africa for Africa (MAFA), intended to accelerate the pace of geo-information activities in Africa. It has been set up by the Geo-information sub-committee (CODI-Geo) of the Economic Commission for Africa, supported by ICA and African countries represented by their National Mapping Organisations or organisations responsible for spatial-data infrastructure. It includes a plan of action to provide the fundamental geo-spatial information for sustainable development in support of various projects under NEPAD, including: (1) promotion of international technical and scientific support, and ICA and affiliate members’ advisory services for Mapping Africa for Africa projects, (2) aid for capacity building and knowledge sharing, (3) support for mapping projects for Mapping Africa for Africa, (4) facilitation of cartographic outreach programmes in Africa and (5) promotion of awareness of cartographic issues and resources. The African Reference Frame (AFREF) aims at setting up a geodetic framework for GNSS in Africa, to be built on the existing sparse network of continually operating GPS stations. The project calls for hardware, software and training to install, support and use the GPS network. The UN is lending its support to AFREF, and NMOs have signed up to it.

Another example is the African Resource Management Satellite Project (ARMS), a joint satellite programme between South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria, and any other interested African countries, and designed to lay the foundations for sustainable technology development on the continent. The project is a key flagship project in NEPAD Science and Technology Ministerial Programme areas, and the countries involved will collaborate in building capacity to support space programmes in Africa. Nigeria is a main contributor through NigeriaSat-1, and Nigerian government policy makes it mandatory to include a training component in GI projects and locally implement GI projects to a minimum level of 75%. The development of the Nigerian satellite included the integral training of fifteen Nigerian engineers/scientists in all aspects of satellite technology, including ground-station management.

Article to be continued in GIM March 2008.