The Second GMES & Africa Phase 2 Continental Forum, taking place in Cairo, Egypt, commenced on Monday, December 1, 2025, with a focus on reviewing progress and charting the future of the African Earth Observation (EO) landscape.
This high-level event continues to host African and international stakeholders to review the progress of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) & Africa Programme and to define the strategic direction for EO and space initiatives across the continent.
The GMES & Africa programme addresses a fundamental requirement for Africa’s EO ecosystem coordinated access to satellite data and analytical capacity for environmental monitoring and resource management.
The continent faces climate-related challenges, including droughts, floods, and ecosystem degradation, that require systematic observation and data-driven responses.
Furthermore, the programme’s value extends beyond immediate service delivery.
By establishing a regional consortia structure, GMES & Africa created institutional frameworks for sustained earth observation capacity in each African region.
These consortia have signed memoranda of understanding to coordinate activities, share knowledge, and develop joint products, establishing networks that can outlast individual funding cycles.
For national and regional institutions, participation in GMES & Africa provides access to Copernicus programme data and services adapted for African contexts.
This connection to European earth observation infrastructure reduces the capital-intensive barriers that often limit African institutions’ ability to deploy satellite-based monitoring systems independently.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2025/12/02/gmes-africa-phase-2-continental-forum-assessing-impact-and-charting-the-future-of-earth-observation-in-africa/