GMES and Africa project supported the African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Data Processing workshop from July 18-22 2022.  The four days’ workshop brought together 21 participants (17 men and 4 females) from across RCMRD member States from various fields among them professionals in Geo-information, land surveyors, geodesists, engineers, earth research, and scientists among others.

RCMRD through GMES and Africa program was honored to have one of the partners, Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing (DRSRS) Dr Moses Akali who highlighted on the role of GMES and Africa in Earth Observation. The training aimed at linking the AFREF initiative with similar capacity-building activities of the GMES & Africa program as a cross-fertilization activity between programs.

While addressing the trainees, the Director General Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza appreciated the support awarded by the GMES and Africa Program under RCMRD for their support through AFREF to build capacity in the Earth Observation. AFREF is closely related to Earth Observation (EO) as it provides a fundamental reference frame for geospatial information collected by EO satellites. EO satellites are used to gather a wide range of data about the Earth, such as land cover, topography, and atmospheric conditions. These data are critical for various applications, including natural resource management, disaster management, climate monitoring, and urban planning

The accuracy and reliability of the geospatial information obtained from EO satellites depend on the reference frame used to process the data. Therefore, AFREF plays a crucial role in improving the accuracy and interoperability of geospatial data collected by EO satellites across Africa. AFREF provides a unified and consistent reference frame for geospatial data collected by different EO sensors, which is critical for comparing and integrating data from different sources.

About AFREF

AFREF stands for African Reference Frame. It is a project aimed at establishing a unified reference frame for geospatial information across Africa. The project is being led by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), in collaboration with various partners across Africa. The main goal of AFREF is to improve the accuracy and interoperability of geospatial data in Africa, which is essential for a wide range of applications, including navigation, transportation, agriculture, and natural resource management.