EOCap4Africa

About the Project

Remote sensing is an important tool for recording landscape changes and creating a basis for the
management of ecosystems and their services. This is particularly relevant for the African continent.
Climate change, population growth, pollution and a growing demand for natural resources are
leading to rapid landscape changes in many African countries and regions, often to the detriment of
natural ecosystems. Wetlands, as one example of various ecosystems, provide valuable services for
the local population by the supply of food and drinking water, protect against droughts and floods,
and provide habitats for a large number of protected animal and plant species.

Remote sensing technologies enable an inventory of ecosystems and thus create a basis for
sustainable management, restoration and sustainable use. Besides the immense potential for the use
of remote sensing in wetland management in Africa there is still a need for capacity development to
further utilize the available technologies for management and recovery.

The aim of the project “Earth Observation in Africa: Capacity Development for the Conservation of
Ecosystems and their Services” (EOCap4Africa) is to strengthen the capacities of future conservation
managers in the application of information generated by remote sensing for the protection and
sustainable use of ecosystems, with a particular focus on wetlands and their ecosystem services.

We developed a curriculum for a Master’s remote sensing module in close cooperation with our
African partners from the university sector. The idea is to spread knowledge about the potential of
remote sensing data via students of relevant courses and to increase its application in the medium
term.

In addition, the project is pursuing an approach in which senior and junior scientists and practitioners
are integrated into the EO work at the African partners. On the one hand, this is intended to ensure
professional excellence in the development of the module, on the other hand, the capacities of
young scientists are increased, and the exchange of knowledge and experience is promoted.

In EOCap4Africa we cooperate with four partner institutions in Africa, namely the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology in Kumasi (Ghana), the University of Kinshasa (DR Congo), the
Institute of Applied Science in Ruhengeri (INES; Rwanda) and the University of Botswana in
Gaborone/Maun (Botswana).