Countdown to First Forum of GMES and Africa’s Phase 2 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Two years after the commencement of its second implementation phase, GMES and Africa is mobilizing for a mega convergence of its stakeholders. The First GMES and Africa Phase 2 Forum will be held in Sharm El- Sheikh, Egypt, from 27 – 30 November 2023 

Africa has significant potential to capitalize on the opportunities provided by Earth Observation (EO), for improved management of the environment, increased agricultural yields, food security and climate adaptation. Gaps in intra-African coordination and collaboration may be limiting this potential.

The Forum, therefore, is an avenue for dialogue and engagement, among the many players in the continent’s EO domain. This is vital, to revisit the processes, results and impact of the programme in terms of quality and success. It will promote stocktaking and cross-fertilization of ideas and experience among policy makers, service providers, businesses, academia and user communities.

The Sharm El-Sheikh Forum will center around the theme of how EO can be deployed to strengthen resilience and innovation in Africa. Sectoral experts and policy chiefs from various parts of Africa will address topics bordering on sustainable environments, data access and sharing and human capital development as cornerstones for resilience and innovation. Participants will discuss subjects around the main axis of GMES and Africa’s phase two, including policy and institutional frameworks, knowledge management and collaboration with similar initiatives.

An opportunity to collectively evaluate the efficacy of products and applications developed for beneficiary communities, the Forum is a platform to discuss ways of improving services rendered by GMES and Africa projects. These projects are an integration of services and partnerships which need strengthening to foster ownership and sustainability. 

The leading actors within the GMES and Africa Framework – African Union, European Union and consortia of African institutions will use the Forum to mount an exhibition of their products and services. Whilst the African Union and the European are the institutional sponsors and implementers of the programme, the consortia are working at the grassroots level to tackle various water, natural resources, marine and coastal themes in Africa. They will showcase the EO tools and applications they are utilizing to promote sustainable development in the continent.

From inception, GMES and Africa has been the convener of EO in Africa, organizing actors and players to work together in leveraging their potential for Africa’s socio-economic development. 

GMES/PMU/AF