Leveraging Earth Observation for Sustainable Natural Resource Management: RCMRD’s Capacity-Building Initiatives
Through a series of strategic training programs and courses available on its eLearning Platform
RCMRD enhances the capacity of regional stakeholders by equipping them with advanced tools and methodologies for ecosystem assessment and monitoring.
RCMRD enhances the capacity of regional stakeholders by equipping them with advanced tools and methodologies for ecosystem assessment and monitoring.
The Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) is one of the leaders of the 8 consortia supported by GMES and Africa. It is implementing a program in East Africa with its partners. It plays a key role in the integration of Earth observation (EO) technologies for the sustainable management of natural resources in Eastern and Southern Africa.
In partnership with the GMES & Africa program - which has also contributed to the establishment of a training facility - and other programmes, it demonstrates the power of Earth observation to improve the resilience of ecosystems and strengthen environmental governance across the continent.
The page providing access to the content developed under the G&A program focuses on mitigating land degradation, with training on the analysis of land use and land cover change factors and on monitoring land productivity, enabling policy makers to adopt targeted strategies to achieve land degradation neutrality.
At the same time, RCMRD is developing innovative approaches to wetland mapping, integrating assessment tools such as the Wetlands Information Service and COLWED (Cost of Land and Wetland Degradation Tool) to quantify the environmental and socio-economic impacts of wetland degradation.
Wetland vulnerability is another critical area addressed by the combined use of EO data and GIS tools, enabling better risk anticipation and informed management of these fragile ecosystems. In addition, in response to the challenges facing coastal and island regions, RCMRD trains experts in coastal geomorphology mapping and shoreline change analysis, which are essential for managing the impacts of climate change and coastal erosion.
At the intersection of environment and development, RCMRD also promotes an integrated approach linking the socio-economic assessment of degraded land and wetlands to EO-based analyses. These training programs help improve the understanding and evaluation of ecosystem services, thus informing political and economic decision-making.
Want to know more?
Comments
Post a Comment