GMES and Africa Kick off of Projects : AUC and ICPAC discuss the strengthening of the infrastructure for data access

The African Union Commission (AUC) has been holding ground breaking consultative missions to the eight consortia selected to be part of the programme’s second implementation phase. The missions, conducted by the GMES and Africa programme management unit, offer an opportunity to both consortia and the programme team to have a common understanding of the project objectives and establish common goals for the successful implementation of the second phase.

EStations installed under GMES and Africa between 2017 and 2021. The GMES and Africa Programme delivered 12 of the "typical" MESA configuration, i.e. 3 PCs, an antenna, and peripheral (UPS, router). The Programme completed the scheme left by its precursors AMESD and MESA between 2007 and 2016, i.e. 188 Stations (130 MESA, 54 PUMA and 4 Dual/training). There are now 200 EO stations in Africa dealing either with Meteorology and Climate (54 stations) or Environment (142). Four additional are for training. 

At the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC) in Nairobi, Kenya, a key point of discussion was the benefits of the e-station, a major infrastructure for data access during the first phase. E-stations are workstations for the preparation and transmission of data and products to partners and beneficiaries, especially in areas with little or no internet coverage. Whilst both parties recognized some common challenges in the utilization of e-stations during the first phase, it was agreed that the tools are an invaluable asset that should be maintained and utilized to the fullest. One proposition is to have portable or online versions of e-stations which provide a wider range of solutions.

The need for tailored trainings on e-stations was further highlighted during the discussions, to maximize their utility and benefits. The alternative method of sending out pre-processed data to partners through the e-stations or clouds was also discussed, especially in light of unstable internet access within some user communities. ICPAC has a data centre with an e-station in its value chain. During the first phase, the centre developed a semi-automated service for data reception, pre-processing and dispatch to partners. The second phase is an opportunity for ICPAC to partner with the private sector in operating fully automated services, whilst increasing internships for students to harness the value of the e-stations.

More

• The ICPAC corporate site, https://www.icpac.net/
• The ICPAC led G&A Phase 1 Consortium website, http://gmes.icpac.net/ (under reconstruction).
• Contact: Dr Eugene Kayijamahe, Eugene.Kayijamahe[at]igad.int