Digital Earth Africa(DE Africa) has signed a partnership with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in Kenya, AGRHYMET Regional Centre in Niger and the Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, for the building and provision of skills and expertise needed for the use of satellite data in Africa.

According to DE Africa, the partnership is necessary for the success of DE Africa to help achieve uptake of products and ensure the program delivers a sustainable platform through access to civil society, research and private sectors and government at country and continental levels.

Commenting on the role of the organisation in the partnership, Director-General of RCMRD, Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza said the collaboration offers opportunities for countries across the continent to engage with the DE Africa capacity building program which will help drive skill development for the use of satellite data across Africa.

On its part, AGRHYMET Regional Centre in Niger will utilise the information provided by Digital Earth Africa in its mandate to assure food security and combat the effects of drought, desertification and other West African development needs.

According to partnership details, the Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente will be delivering the capacity development strategy as well as the systems, tools and methodologies needed to guarantee capacity development activities meet individual and organisational needs.

“We’ll be applying a demand-driven approach to capacity development that’s fit-for-purpose to individual and organisational needs”,  Dr Tom Veldkamp of the Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente said.