One of the primary goals of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa Programme is to empower end-users with the necessary skills to harness Earth Observation (EO) data effectively through capacity building that has been designed to enhance regional and national capacities for African public institutions and private sector to generate, interpret and apply EO-based information in decision making.
In a concerted effort to enhance Earth observation capacities in Africa, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in collaboration with Makerere University conducted a Thematic Services Training under the GMES and Africa Programme between 19th-23rd June 2023 at RCMRD, Nairobi – Kenya. This joint initiative aimed to familiarize the stakeholders from 11 implementing countries with services and products developed under the RCMRD Consortium and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to leverage Earth Observation data and tools for the three services; Land Degradation Monitoring and Assessment, Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment and Open Geographical Regional Reference Vector Database for water and agro-ecological zonings. Read more: https://gmes.rcmrd.org/
Makerere University is one of the key partners of the RCMRD Consortium and they are in charge of all training-related activities. Capacity Building is one of the key activities under the cross-cutting axes of intervention earmarked by the GMES & Africa Project. The two facilitators from Makerere University were Prof Anthony Gidudu and Dr Allan Mazimwe. A total of 21 participants attended the week-long training.
Land Degradation Monitoring and Assessment
The thematic service on land degradation within the GMES and Africa project provided stakeholders with valuable knowledge, skills and a comprehensive understanding of land degradation and its severity, including the identification and mapping of key drivers. Through hands-on experience using Earth observation data and tools available on the RCMRD GMES and Africa Geoportal participants became proficient in utilizing geospatial technologies to identify hotspots and assess various factors contributing to land degradation. These factors included vegetation index, land use/land cover, rainfall erosivity, slope factor, soil erodibility, and population density. The ultimate goal of the course was to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to support policy decisions and implement effective intervention efforts to combat land degradation at the national level
The Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment
This Thematic service focused on equipping participants with the necessary knowledge and technical skills to assess wetland vulnerability using Earth Observation data and tools. The objective was to promote sustainable management of wetland resources in the East Africa region. Participants gained the ability to apply Earth Observation tools and data in monitoring and assessing wetland vulnerability, interpret and visualize assessment outputs, and utilize the Wetland Vulnerability Analysis(WVA) Tool for monitoring and assessment purposes. The training covered various topics, including an introduction to Earth Observation data and tools, wetland vulnerability assessment methods, the concept and design of the WVA tool, data requirements and acquisition, data processing within the tool, and final output visualization and dissemination. With this comprehensive training, participants are now empowered to contribute to effective wetland ecosystem management and conservation in East Africa.
Open Geographical Regional Reference Vector Database for water and agro-ecological zonings
The Open Geographical Reference Vector Database aims to enhance the value of collected and shared datasets by providing decision-making resources such as story maps, geo-informational graphics, and data analytical dashboards shared in a Geoportal. During the training, participants explored how they can utilize the RCMRD GMES and Africa Geoportal https://gmesgeoportal.rcmrd.org/ as a knowledge product, specifically focusing on the development of GIS Dashboards available in the geoportal. The RCMRD GMES & Africa Geoportal is indeed one of the flagship products we have for the dissemination of our products and service. The Geoportal has over 205,000 hits since it was launched 3 years ago.
Through this service, RCMRD Consortium has successfully established valuable linkages acquiring datasets from Government Agencies and regional programs like the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Program in Africa (BIOPAMA) and East and Southern Africa Forest Observatory (OFESA). This increase access a wide range of relevant and up-to-date datasets to support their decision-making processes and enhance their geospatial analyses. The three programs (GMES& Africa, BIOPAMA & OFESA) will collaborate this year during the RCMD Map Competition 2023 edition, it’s an initiative that seeks to promote synergies and foster a community of practice.
Upcoming Events
- RCMRD Map Competition runs from 4-July-2023 to 17-Nov-2023. Visit this link to register and read more details.
