GMES, and Africa

Oil spills pose a severe threat to the coastal environments of Northern Africa, affecting marine biodiversity, local economies, and human health. The GMES and Africa programme, particularly through the MarcNoWA consortium, is playing a pivotal role in monitoring and mitigating these impacts by providing critical data and decision-making tools to local authorities in the region. Monitoring Oil Spills: A Critical Need Between September 2022 and June 2024, the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE)—a key member of the Marine and Coastal Areas Management in North and West Africa (MarcNoWA) consortium—has produced 139 oil spill maps of Egypt and Libya under the GMES and Africa programme. These maps cover 3,130 km² of sea, with Egypt’s coastal waters accounting for 125 cases spanning 2,906 km², and Libya recording 14 incidents over 224 km². These comprehensive maps serve as essential tools for national agencies like the Egyptian Environmental Affai