The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa and African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries (GMES Africa) initiative aims at strengthening capacities and developing infrastructure for the intense and coherent exploitation by African users of Earth Observation (space and in-situ) data, technologies and services in support of environmental policies for sustainable development in Africa and ACP countries.

The Maputo Declaration

The GMES Africa initiative started with the Maputo Declaration, signed by the representatives of the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Secretary General of the ACP Secretariat and the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Mozambique, on 15 October 2006 on the eve of the 7th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa, held in Maputo in October 2006.

The Declaration explicitly called upon the European Union to plan an extension of its GMES Europe initiative to Africa (GMES Africa) and other ACP countries, through which African continental, regional and national decision-makers would have the data and the tools needed for an operational implementation of continental, regional, national and local policies targeting the sustainable management of the African environment, through extensive operational use of Earth Observation technologies.

The declaration also formulates a joint request to the European Union with the aim of enabling the funding for the implementation of the GMES- Africa Programme, as part of the planning of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).

The Lisbon Process on GMES and Africa

In December 2007, the then Portuguese EU presidency organised a large event dedicated to GMES and Africa, which has resulted into the adoption of the Lisbon Declaration and the Lisbon Process on GMES and Africa.

On 8-9 December 2007, during the EU-Africa Lisbon Summit, “The Lisbon Process on "GMES and Africa"” was approved by the Heads of States of Europe and Africa. The Lisbon process foresees the preparation, in the framework of the EU-AU partnership, of an “Action Plan on GMES and Africa”. A status update of the activities was provided to the EU-Africa Summit, which took place in November 2010.

The GMES Africa initiative has been integrated into the First Action Plan of the EU-Africa Joint Strategic Partnership, under the Partnership #8 on Science, Information Society and Space.

A coordination group, involving African and European experts, has been established for the drafting of the Action Plan.

The Ouagadougou Declaration

In September 2010, the RECs, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the ACP Secretariat, confirmed their support for the GMES Africa process and asked for the launch of a 10th EDF project that will build on the outcomes of the PUMA and AMESD initiative and contribute to the implementation of various elements of the GMES Africa Action Plan.

Following the Ouagadougou Declaration, and after discussion between the signatories and the European Commission, the MESA project (Monitoring of Environment and Security in Africa) was designed and proposed to be funded through the 10th EDF. The MESA project should start at the beginning of 2012.

Content of the GMES Africa initiative

GMES Africa consists of:

1. Developing the necessary capacity (institutional, human and technical) in Africa to adapt and exploit, on an operational basis, the technology, data, products and services developed in the framework of GMES Europe and, which are relevant to African needs;
2. Developing the techniques, products and services to better serve African interests and requirements in terms of environmental monitoring by adapting them, when necessary, to the institutional African context.

When identifying the necessary elements to provide Earth Observation services in Africa, the following thematic aspects will be specifically evaluated:

• capacity building framework for GMES Africa
• policy and institutional framework for GMES Africa
• infrastructure framework for GMES Africa
• thematic framework for GMES Africa, including the 8 following themes:
  • Natural disasters
  • Food security and rural development
  • Long-term management of natural resources
  • Water resource management
  • Impacts of climate variability and change
  • Marine and coastal areas
  • Conflicts and political crises
  • Infrastructure and territorial development
  
  

EUMETSAT will support the process towards the implementation of this initiative, based on the experience gained in the successful PUMA and AMESD projects and the planned MESA project.