From internship to impact: How DE Africa’s training helped a Zanzibar graduate drive government action

In 2023, Digital Earth Africa partnered with the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) to deliver the Industrial Training Programme, designed to build practical Earth observation (EO) skills among young professionals. For Ali Hamad Ali, known as Alson Aly, the experience became a springboard from classroom learning to influencing environmental management at the highest levels of government.

Ali joined the programme with a background in geography and environmental studies, eager to gain technical skills that could support Zanzibar’s coastal ecosystems. Working alongside fellow students, Ali used the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox and Sentinel-2 data to monitor mangrove forests in Chwaka and Kibele. The work revealed important insights: in Chwaka, a marked decline in Sonneratia alba mangroves, from 160 hectares in 2019 to 125 hectares in 2023, was linked to tidal stress and human activity. In contrast, Kibele’s mangrove cover remained stable, dominated by Rhizophora mucronata, pointing to a more resilient ecosystem.

This analysis combined field data, local ecological knowledge, and DE Africa’s EO tools, delivering insights that could inform conservation strategies and resource management. The internship was more than an academic exercise, it demonstrated how open EO data can be applied to real-world environmental challenges.

Following graduation, Ali faced the challenges many graduates in Zanzibar encounter: limited job openings and high competition. His technical skills, honed through the DE Africa programme, set him apart. He joined the Zanzibar Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA) as an Environmental Officer, bringing DE Africa tools directly into government work. At ZEMA, he applied DE Africa datasets and Google Earth Engine to produce a coastal erosion report that informed agency planning, supported colleagues in understanding and integrating EO data into daily monitoring, and advocated for broader adoption of EO solutions in environmental policy.

Recognizing his expertise, Ali was seconded to the “Boosting Inclusive Growth for Zanzibar (BIG Z) Project” under the Ministry of Finance as a GIS Specialist. His work now supports large-scale environmental and infrastructure projects, advancing EO applications across government sectors. Reflecting on his journey, Ali remarked, “The DE Africa internship was more than training, it gave me the confidence and technical skills to contribute meaningfully to Zanzibar’s environmental management. Today, those skills are helping shape projects at the national level.”

Ali’s journey highlights how capacity building through targeted training can open career pathways and embed EO expertise in institutions. It also demonstrates the value of mentorship and sustained engagement, as Ali continues to mentor SUZA students and ZEMA colleagues. Through initiatives like the SUZA Industrial Training Programme, Digital Earth Africa is creating a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to transform environmental management across Africa.