{"id":770456,"date":"2026-01-11T19:59:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T03:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=770456"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:53:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T23:53:33","slug":"across-africa-excitement-grows-over-applied-earth-observation-science","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/across-africa-excitement-grows-over-applied-earth-observation-science","title":{"rendered":"Across Africa, Excitement Grows Over Applied Earth Observation Science"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1041,551,457141],"tags":[287702,10342,170662,165542,581],"arcnews_issues":[493311],"class_list":["post-770456","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collaboration","category-imagery","category-scientific-currents","tag-africa","tag-africa-geoportal","tag-arcgis-hub","tag-data-sharing","tag-digital-transformation","arcnews_issues-winter-2026","arcnews_sections-gis-people"],"acf":{"short_description":"Esri is proud to assist AfriGEO in providing coordinated, comprehensive Earth observation for better decision-making that sparks innovation.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Since the founding of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) 20 years ago, Esri has been a proud collaborator, most recently as an associate member. GEO is a mini-United Nations of more than 100 governments and organizations working together to use Earth observation technology to tackle climate-related challenges and disasters while enhancing sustainable environmental management and public health.\r\n\r\nIndeed, as we cope with the present and future dangers of increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and more frequent and intense natural hazards, it is more critical than ever to have continuous, near real-time mapping and monitoring of the entire surface of the Earth. Esri sees GEO as one of the most thorough collaboratives doing just that\u2014and at a time when such multilateral approaches seem to be waning or under attack.\r\n\r\nFor years, GEO has also had regional initiatives, including AmeriGEO in the Americas, EuroGEO in Europe, AOGEO in Asia-Oceana, and AfriGEO in Africa. Through these initiatives, there has been a significant rise in organizations harnessing Earth imagery and geospatial technologies to engage in sustainable development\u2014particularly by several African countries. Recent collaborations among these nations is boosting data sharing and fostering better research and understanding. The tools they\u2019re using provide crucial data for monitoring environmental changes and are playing a vital role in agricultural science, disaster management, and urban planning. They are shaping the continent\u2019s future."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":770457,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"AfriGEO currently consists of 32 GEO member states, with a few more countries seeking to officially join. In addition, there are 15 participating regional institutions contributing to AfriGEO\u2019s mission, including the African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development\u2019s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, the African Regional Institute for Geospatial Information Science and Technology, and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development. There are 14 nonaffiliated organizations\u2014such as South Africa\u2019s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research\u2014that are not officially part of AfriGEO\u2019s core structure but that still share data; collaborate on events such as symposia and workshops; and implement projects that have to do with agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction. Esri is one of six donor organizations that sponsor activities and contribute data, tools, and web portal infrastructure.\r\n\r\nAfriGEO seeks to accomplish many things, and Esri supports its key objectives in four main ways:\r\n