Sid Boukabara, Senior Program Scientist for Strategy at NASA HQ, along with Kayla Rillo, Management and Program Analyst, Garik Gutman, LCLUC Program Manager, and Krishna, LCLUC Deputy Program Manager, concluded a successful week in Algiers. During their visit, they engaged with three Algerian Ministries, the Science and Technology University, and the Space Agency of Algeria. They visited various research units, including those focused on solar energy and astronomy, and received substantial support and engagement from the US Embassy. Ambassador Elisabeth Aubin participated in NASA’s visit to the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL). The US Embassy demonstrated significant interest in expanding the Earth Information Center (EIC) and is working out technical details with Eleanor Stokes from NASA HQ. Algerian researchers expressed keen interest in collaborating with LCLUC on studying North African land-cover and land-use change processes, the primary purpose of the visit. The discussions covered topics such as urbanization, forest fires, desertification, agriculture, air quality, and more. Algerian ministries showed interest in joining GEOGLAM activities and collaborating with NASA HARVEST on agriculture. They also expressed interest in future collaboration on education through the GLOBE Program and capacity building through ARSET, SERVIR, and LCLUC. The US Embassy organized an event with a US NGO operating in Algiers, where the NASA delegation engaged with students working on environmental science and technology projects. The visit received significant local media coverage, and the NASA delegation stayed in a historic hotel that once served as President Eisenhower's headquarters during the North African Campaign in WWII.
Algerian space agency researchers with Dr. Garik Gutman and Krishna Vadrevu
Delegation at the Algerian Space Agency
Delegation at the US Embassy
