According to a press release by EUMETSAT, the intergovernmental organisation and the African Union Commission have signed a memorandum establishing frameworks for African environmental and meteorological services to access EUMETSAT’s data from its next-generation satellite systems. This agreement ensures that EUMETSAT and the AUC will collaborate on deploying new infrastructure for data reception and developing educational materials to maximise the impact of the satellite data.
EUMETSAT has initiated the deployment of its Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite system, starting with the launch of MTG-Imager 1 in December 2022. This satellite’s imagers provide continuous coverage of Africa and Europe, and its data set will soon be released for operational use. In addition, the organisation plans to launch its next-generation polar-orbiting satellites, the EUMETSAT Polar System—Second Generation, in 2025-26.
“EUMETSAT is a key partner of the African Union in projects aiming to strengthen Africa’s meteorological, environmental and climate services,” EUMETSAT Director-General Phil Evans said. “We have provided African nations with data and capacity-building support for more than two decades within the framework of the European Union-Africa Partnership. This agreement will facilitate access to more precise, high-resolution data that African data users need to help protect lives, infrastructure and livelihoods. The agreement recognises and supports Africa’s space, meteorological and climate strategies.”
“The memorandum of understanding represents another milestone in Africa-Europe cooperation. It is a renewed opportunity for Africa to explore EUMETSAT’s next-generation infrastructure and tools for data harvesting and utilisation. The agreement is timely and complements Agenda 2063 and the African Space Policy and Strategy for deploying satellite data to address environmental and climate challenges. Such a mutual partnership is crucial for Africa’s drive to leverage its socio-economic transformation using space science and technology,” stated Professor Mohammed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, African Union Commission.
In 2022, both parties signed a cooperation agreement on climate monitoring under the ClimSA programme. The agreement strengthened EUMETSAT’s long-standing cooperation with Africa by providing data from its next-generation satellites, technical support and training to African regional and national climate centres.
Source: https://africanews.space/eumetsat-signs-mou-with-auc-to-establish-frameworks-to-strengthen-cooperation-on-earth-observation-data-for-socioeconomic-impact/
