By Abdi Ali
Published August 25, 2015
Kenya is from August 31 set to hold a five-day conference “to establish coherent frameworks for the development of Earth Observation activities which are influencing policy for environmental sustainability for future generations.”
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Dubbed the First Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa Forum (MESA) and supported by the European Union (EU), the meeting is expected to bring together 250 policy-makers, planners, earth observation data users and experts from across the continent to the conference that shall wind up on September 4.
“By enhancing access to and exploitation of relevant Earth Observation applications at continental, regional and national levels,” says Peace Rhoda Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission (AUC), “the MESA Project contributes to the increase of information management, decision-making and planning capacity of African institutions mandated for agriculture, environment, climate, fisheries, food security and related responsibilities.”
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The Forum that is organised by AUC in conjunction with Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government of Kenya, shall be held on the theme, Streamlining MESA products and services towards the decision-making cycle in support of sustainable environmental management.
MESA is funded by EU and coordinated by AUC; Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and IGAD, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and Indian Ocean Commission (IOC); and the Secretariat of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP).
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