1. Earth Observation in support of the African Action Plan for GGIM UN-GGIM: Africa / GEO collaboration Derek Clarke (Dr) Chief Director: NGI (South Africa) Chair: UN-GGIM: Africa Sub-comm. Fundamental Data & Stds GEO Work Programme Symposium, May 2017

2. Why Geospatial Information
Geospatial information is essential for decision-making and development planning
Geospatial information is recognised in numerous key programmes, such as SDGs and Sendai Framework
To be effective geospatial information must be managed in an appropriate governance framework – spatial data infrastructure (SDI)
GI management requires three elements to be present:
Usability
Accessibility
Availability

3. Geospatial Information and Earth Observation
Earth observation is a major source for geospatial information – e.g.:
Imagery: from aircraft or satellite platforms, with various parameters (spatial resolution, spectral band and resolution, radiometric resolution). Specific conditions in Africa are of relevance.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS): positioning; Earth parameters (geodesy)

4. Africa is poorly mapped!!
What is the Problem?
Africa is poorly mapped!!
Lack of fundamental geospatial data: often geospatial data (where available) is not easily accessible and usable or is out of date.
Technical and technology issues: lack of implementation of standards for data and metadata; expense of technology; inadequate power supply; inadequate communication infrastructure; support and maintenance of technology.
Lack of capacity and capability to collect and use geospatial information.
Lack of political support and funding.

5. Geospatial Information for Sustainable Development in Africa (GI4SD) - African Action Plan on GGIM
Responds to the two key programmes:
UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
AU Agenda 2063
(Agenda 2063 has similar goals to SDGs but more specific on the needs of Africa)
Emphasises need for global coordination mechanism for geospatial information management.
African Action Plan on GGIM is an implementation tool of UN-GGIM: Africa.

6. African Action Plan on GGIM
Focuses on four key areas:
Geospatial Information Policy and Governance;
Common Framework and Tools;
Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer; and,
International Coordination and Cooperation in Meeting Global Needs.
It also contains a specific action area on Integration of Geospatial Information and Statistics – based on NSSF.

7. African Action Plan on GGIM
Builds on existing structures and systems
GEO and AfriGEOSS
Servir-Africa
African Space Policy and African Space Programme
GMES & Africa
AfriCover
Specific actions on earth observations:
Earth observation (imagery) coverage for collection and maintenance of fundamental geospatial datasets
Strengthen earth observation capacity – collection and processing

8. Challenges
Political support for programmatic approach to geospatial information management
Funding for geospatial information collection, maintenance and dissemination
Barriers to adequate access to earth observation data
Relevance of geospatial information – authoritative, currency, timely access
Sustainable data maintenance
Geospatial information policies – open data, sharing
Institutional capacity and capability

9. Plans
Implementation of African Action Plan through projects in collaboration and cooperation with GEO and other partners.

10. Rural communities who have the ability to understand and use maps in daily life, for work and in the community, that is they are functionally map literate, will have the capacity to participate in their own development.
Thank you