Digital Earth Africa and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) of Ghana are forging a non-binding partnership aimed at harnessing the power of geospatial and Earth observation data for environmental and development issues, as well as capacity building and project implementation. This collaboration seeks to align the core missions of both organizations, with UENR focusing on delivering data and outcomes that align with the DE Africa program.
Ghana has recently passed the Ghana Space Bill which seeks to establish the Ghana Space Agency and advance the Ghana Space Institute to work with a diverse stakeholder. Within this initiative, UENR holds a key role in the building the capacity in earth observation for Ghana and supporting the Ghana Vision 2050.
Strengthening and localising the partnership with Digital Earth Africa will assist UENR in further leveraging Digital Earth Africa's accessible, analysis-ready data sets and platform in the implementation of locally-specific projects, the development applications, and the deepening of capabilities and uptake at the national level. For Digital Earth Africa the partnership with UENR will further foster country engagement opportunities in Ghana and more broadly in West Africa.
The partnership will seek to focus on several areas of collaboration which could include UENR piloting the scaled implementation of the Digital Earth Africa program across its curriculum, integrating key elements of the program into relevant academic programs. The BSc Programme in Space Sciences Engineering will be a key focus, with DE Africa content serving as a core elective.
Additional interventions will see Digital Earth Africa facilitating virtual training sessions for UENR faculty and staff, providing onsite training opportunities when possible, and extending training opportunities to interested sister universities and partners with aligned objectives.
Professor Amos Kabo-Bah is a staunch champion of earth observation programs and regards Digital Earth Africa as being instrumental in supporting the Ghana Space Policy, and using EO data to drive evidence-based decision-making in support of Ghana's National Adaption Plans (NAPs).
Dr Kenneth Mubea, Capacity Development Lead at Digital Earth Africa, says, "UENR and Digital Earth Africa have enjoyed a strong relationship for some while. Forging this partnership more formally will be key to unlocking the power of Eo data to further support UENR's curricula, provide technical support to student projects, and connect the students to opportunities that address local challenges."
This partnership is expected to foster innovation, capacity development, and sustainable growth in the fields of geospatial and EO data, ultimately benefiting both UENR and DE Africa and their respective stakeholders.
Image sourced from UENR website.