Earth Observations for Sustainable Development in North Africa
Introduction
As environmental issues grow increasingly global and complex, international collaboration in space technologies and Earth observations becomes essential. By combining NASA’s technological expertise with the regional knowledge of North African organizations, scientific exchange is important to enhance the observation and monitoring of land cover/land use changes (LCLUC), agricultural management, disaster management, and sustainable development.
This workshop is led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States and is focused on North Africa, including Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. The proposed workshop aims to address the unique environmental challenges faced by the region, including rapid land-use/cover changes, desertification, water scarcity, land degradation, and climate change. Earth Observation (EO) technologies are essential for effective environmental monitoring, natural resource management, and disaster risk reduction, offering valuable insights through satellite data. The region’s susceptibility to land degradation and disasters, like droughts, fires, desert storms, and floods, highlights the need for improved early warning systems and preparedness. Indeed, EO tools can aid in monitoring and help in planning activities in multiple thematic areas including agricultural land sustainability, water resources, and biodiversity.
By bringing together U.S.-based and North African scientists, the workshop aims to foster collaboration, enable the sharing of knowledge and tools, and lay the foundation for joint projects with US-funded scientists as well as capacity-enhancement initiatives to understand further the Earth system processes. Many organizations in the region have varying levels of access to EO data. This workshop will help identify local capacities to build collaborative projects involving US researchers and regional researchers to tackle environmental problems better and lead to better decision-making. With NASA’s expertise in remote sensing, the workshop will focus on promoting research, applications, and capacity enhancement with open data sharing and addressing the need for sustainable development in North African countries. This collaborative effort will provide a platform for the North African scientific community to engage in scientific exchanges with the U.S., leveraging EO technologies to meet common environmental challenges.
2-Day Virtual Workshop
The Workshop on Earth Observations for Sustainable Development aims to establish a strong foundation for long-term collaboration between NASA and North African organizations. The workshop will promote a mutual understanding of capabilities and expertise in space technologies, remote sensing, and Earth Observations, accelerating the development of innovative solutions to environmental challenges, particularly those specific to the North African environment.
Presentations from NASA-funded researchers and North African institutions will cover a broad spectrum of topics, including the latest developments in satellite remote sensing technologies and their applications. Follow-up discussions will explore areas for collaboration across various fields, focusing on land degradation, agricultural monitoring, vegetation fires, disaster management, and environmental stewardship.
Tentative Virtual Workshop Dates
-Jan 28-29
Tentative Agenda
Day-1
-Welcome remarks from NASA ESD leads
-Programmatic presentations from NASA
-Land-Cover/Land-Use Change
-Agriculture and water resources
-Coastal zone processes
-Fires
-Disasters
-GLOBE
-Capacity enhancement (ARSET)
-Programmatic presentations from each country (Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco)
-TBD
-Discussion session
-Needs and priorities
-Collaboration key points and areas
-Way forward/strategies for collaboration
Day-2
-Thematic Presentations and Case Studies - NASA
-Land-Cover/Land-Use Change Program Selected Projects
-Land-cover mapping and monitoring using multi-source imaging data
-Potential of Very High Resolution Data for land-cover/use change studies
-Land degradation and restoration
-Agriculture
-Mapping and monitoring of crops
-Yield prediction and modeling
-Coastal zone development
-Disasters
-Landslides
-Flooding
-Extreme droughts
-Fires
-Thematic Presentations and Case Studies
TBD
-Discussion Session and Points of Collaboration
-Research aspects
-Calibration sites, and validation of data
-GLOBE
Expected Outputs
This workshop is designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of current capabilities and explore pathways for scientific collaboration. The connections made and the knowledge shared through this workshop are expected to lead to meaningful scientific exchanges in Earth sciences and their applications for societal benefits.
Workshop Steering Committee
- Krishna Vadrevu, NASA LCLUC Program, NASA MSFC; [email protected];
- Garik Gutman, NASA LCLUC Program, NASA HQ; [email protected]
- Sid Boukabara, NASA HQ; [email protected]
Participants
- Chris Justice, University of Maryland, College Park;
- Lahouri Bounoua, NASA GSFC
- Jon Padgham, START;
- Amy Chen, GLOBE Program, NASA HQ
- Dave Skole, Michigan State University
- Randy Wynne, Virginia Tech
- Valerie Thomas, Virginia Tech
- Elinor Benami, Virginia Tech
- Walid Ouaret, University of Maryland College Park;
- Karen Chen (University of Washington, USA)
- Mohamed Sultan, Western Michigan University, USA
- Karoui Sofiane, Algerian Space Agency (ASAL);
- Lansari, A. (Algerian Space Agency)
- Kessar Cherif (Algerian Space Agency)
- Balabid Nasreddine (Algeria)
- Mohamed Bouhicha (MESRS, Algeria )
- Pr Boulerbah Souissi (USTHB/MHESR, Algeria)
- Pr Djamel Mimouni (DGRSDT/MHESR, Algeria)
- Pr Fatma Halouane (DGRSDT/MHESR, Algeria)
- Djilali Tassalit (DGRSDT/MHESR, Algeria)
- Khatima Ait Ouadia (DGRSDT/MHESR, Algeria)
- Mohamed Loucif Seiad (DGRSDT/MHESR, Algeria)
- Nabil Khatra, Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), Tunisia
- Dhouha Ouerfelli (Institut national agronomique de Tunisie (INAT) | INAT, Tunisia)
- Marouane Temimi (National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunisia)
- Mohammed Yacoubi Khebiza , Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco
More participants/speakers to be added soon
