These extreme weather events have devastating effects on communities, economies, and ecosystems. The ability to predict and prepare for these events through effective early warning systems is therefore crucial. However, many countries in Africa lack the necessary infrastructure, technical capacity, and resources to effectively utilise space-based data for early warning and disaster management.
The Africa – EU Space Partnership Programme seeks to address these challenges by enhancing the capacity of African institutions to access, process, and use space-based meteorological data. The programme builds on the success of previous EU-funded initiatives, such as PUMA, AMESD, MESA, GMES & Africa, and ClimSA, which laid the groundwork for the use of Earth Observation (EO) data in Africa. EUMETSAT played an active role in supporting the implementation of these initiatives.
This new project aims to further develop these capabilities, particularly in the context of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites, which will provide a new level of detail and accuracy in meteorological observations.
The overall objective of the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme is to contribute to sustainable development, a green transition and digitalisation in Africa through an enhanced strategic EU-Africa space partnership.
The specific objective of the SEWA project is to enhance the capacity to produce and deliver space-based services and applications, data and information, for early warning systems related to hazardous weather or climate events.
The SEWA project is expected to deliver:
- improved access to, processing, applicability and use of Earth Observation (EO) data, with a focus on meteorological data, and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products and services for early warning;
- the establishment and operation of an African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF), including possible support for forecasting capabilities at different ranges;
- co-designed and delivered impact-based forecast services and tools;
- enhanced coordination with institutional framework for hazardous weather and climate early warning and shared knowledge across regions;
- strengthened human capacities, knowledge and community shaping across the early warning value chain, with a focus on space-based data and technologies.
The SEWA project is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway, and is
implemented by the African Union Commission, the ECMWF and EUMETSAT. The implementation period reaches from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2028. African regional centres in charge of weather, climate and training will be also involved.
EUMETSAT's remit under this project is to implement activities related to data access, to ensure the technical establishment of the AMSAF and to carry out training activities.
The event can be attended by the participants of the Africa New Space Conference which is starting on the day after the African Space Agency inauguration.
Image credit: African Space Agency
