Esri Partners with Digital Earth Africa to Support Sustainable Growth
Esri, a global leader in location intelligence, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Digital Earth Africa to support local organisations that use data sciences to create innovative solutions that address the effects of climate change like food security, natural disasters, displacement and vulnerable populations in Africa.
The partnership is intended to encourage and support sustainability in governance and commerce and create and launch technology solutions based on free, open-source satellite images and other forms of earth observation data. Using Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) software, African organisations will be able to analyse satellite imagery data to discover patterns and predict future outcomes. This rich content will be accessible via the Africa GeoPortal. This comprehensive cloud-based platform provides geographic data and imagery for Africa and solutions from Esri and its partners.
“We are proud to partner with Digital Earth Africa to make usable earth observation data more accessible,” said Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri. “This agreement supports the important work for sustainable growth that is taking place across the continent.”
Once collected, satellite imagery must be processed to meet the standards of consistency and accuracy required for scientific investigation. Digital Earth Africa makes this data ready for analysis for the whole continent. In addition, GIS provides the tools and capabilities to create maps, apps, and more, quickly turning these images into actionable data.
Dr Thembi Xaba, Managing Director, Digital Earth Africa, says, “We produce decision-ready products with earth observation data. Our platform and services enable African governments, industry, and decision-makers to track changes across the continent to equip users to better plan for the future.”
The partnership between Esri and Digital Earth Africa will make accessible four decades of imagery. The goal is to help create understanding and awareness of short- and long-term risks from flooding, drought, and soil and coastal erosion. Furthermore, the imagery and data layers can be used to monitor agriculture, forest cover, land masses, water availability and quality, and variations within human settlements.
All this is accessible through the Africa GeoPortal with preconfigured apps and advanced tools for new and experienced users. Esri’s ArcGIS Online software, made available through the partnership, will help eliminate common barriers to accessing valuable earth observation data, such as cost and the need for technical skills. As a community GIS platform, the Africa GeoPortal increases the discoverability and usage of content such as that from Digital Earth Africa through tools, data, and learning.
Visit here to learn more about how Esri and Digital Earth Africa are helping organisations on the continent access rich imagery data to overcome local challenges.