Earth Observation (EO) data can be used to make informed, strategic and inclusive decisions that would help African economies recover from the effects of the global pandemic, coronavirus (COVID-19).

EO involves the gathering of data and information about Earth’s physical, chemical, meteorological and biological systems using in situ, aerial and space-borne platforms. It provides a lot of satellite data for monitoring and managing Earth’s natural resources, and the human and climate impact on them.

Easy access to analysis-ready EO data would enable innovation and creation of new products that would drive Africa’s economy, according to the report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa or DEA).

The WEF is an international organisation for public-private partnership founded in January 1971. It engages political, business, cultural and other foremost leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The Forum’s popular annual meeting which holds in Davos, Switzerland, had been rescheduled to sometime in 2022.

The report, titled, Unlocking the potential of Earth Observation to address Africa’s critical challenges, highlights the importance of EO data to the fourth industrial revolution and its potentials in Africa through the lens of DE Africa. The report projects DE Africa can bring the continent’s EO industry over $2.3 billion by 2024.

DE Africa was launched in 2020 through the evolution of the Africa Regional Data Cube (ARDC) project. ARDC was launched in 2018 to cater to the EO data needs of Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. But with the transition, DE Africa now provides analysis-ready data at a continental scale. DE Africa is funded by Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the Australian government. Over the next three years, DE Africa would increase its staff based in Africa.

In addition to the economic value DE Africa provides, it is also democratizing access to EO data. And this would enable countries to achieve their sustainable development goals (SDGs) even in the face of a global pandemic.

EO provides support for achieving 16 out of the 17 SDGs targets. Namely: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well being; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals. Only quality education is not covered.

Open-satellite data policies and analysis-ready data, together with cloud infrastructure and open source technology, are creating transformational opportunities. DEA is using this Open Data Cube (ODC) technology to provide access to EO insights to address social, environmental and economic changes across Africa.

The report also said DE Africa would stimulate African countries to improve other policy-related indicators in the EO industry. Hence, by 2024, African countries would be able to reproduce the best practices adopted by other top-performing countries on the Geospatial Industry Outlook & Readiness Index. Notably, at the forefront are Nigeria for policy framework, South Africa for institutional capacity and industry fabric, and Ghana for levels of user adoption.

By providing EO data products for African agriculture, DE Africa has the potential to have an economic impact of about $1 billion a year. This would be possible through the use of EO technologies to save water, increase crop yields, reduce insurance costs, and reduce pesticide usage.

Similarly, DE Africa will enable effective regulation of mining activities on the continent. According to the report, Africa records $9 billion in total economic damage due to unregulated gold mines annually. Hence, it is estimated that if DE Africa can prevent only 10% of unregulated mining through the use of its analysis-ready EO data, it would be saving Africa at least $900 million a year.

DE Africa solutions would increase fiscal revenues from mining, safeguard the environment and improve public health. The NASA Langley Research Center is already creating an algorithm for mining regulation in Ghana that can automatically detect changes in geographic features of the landscape that suggest the presence of illegal mines.

The report concluded that it only highlighted areas where real impact can be seen in the use of EO products, but the onus lies on African private and public sector stakeholders in the EO industry to ensure their manifestation.