The document discusses SANSA's mandate, vision, goals and programs related to earth observation in South Africa and SADC. SANSA primarily derives its mandate from South Africa's National Space Agency Act and strategic plans like the Ten-Year Innovation Plan and National Space Strategy. Its vision is to ensure space science and technology benefits society through services, research, and human capital development. It has directorates focused on space operations, science, engineering, and earth observation to achieve its goals and serve societal needs through applications and partnerships.

1. EARTH OBSERVATION: POLICIES, STRATEGIES,
OPPORTUNITIES AND INSTITUTIONAL
LANDSCAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND SADC
SANSA Earth Observation

2. • “To provide for the promotion and use of space and co-operation
in space-related activities, foster research in space science,
advance scientific engineering through human capital, support
the creation of an environment conducive to industrial
development in space technology within the framework of
national government policy”
• SANSA primarily derives its legislative mandate from the South African
National Space Agency Act (Act 36 of 2008) and its strategic mandate
from the
• 1. Ten-Year Innovation Plan
• 2. National Space Strategy
• 3. South African Earth Observation Strategy
SANSA Mandate

3. Our Vision
To be the leader in ensuring that space science and technology benefits society,
the environment, the economy and the global community through relevant services,
research and development, and human capital development.
SANSA Space
Operations
Directorate
Space
Operations
Programme
SANSA Space
Science
Directorate
Space
Science
Programme
SANSA Space
Engineering
Directorate
Space
Engineering
Programme
Goal 1: World-class & efficient services & societal benefits (Societal Capital)
Goal 2: Cutting-edge research, development, innovation, technology and applications (Intellectual Capital)
Goal 3: Human capital development, transformation & science advancement (Human Capital)
Goal 4: Globally competitive national space industry (Industrial Capital)
Goal 5: Make South Africa a recognised global space citizen (Global Capital)
SSANSA Earth
Observation
Directorate
Earth
Observation
Programme

4. Societal
Capital
Intellectual
&
Technology
Capital
Economic
Capital
Human
Capital
Global Capital
Food Security
Resource
Management
Environmental
Management
Disaster
Management
Health, Safety &
Security
Planning & Land
Management
Basic
Research
Applied
Research
Satellite Technology
Development & use
Research & Technology
Platform Provision
Space Operations
Services
Knowledge Creation
& Dissemination
Internships
Post-graduate
Training
Post-doc
training
In-service
Training
Professional
Training
Science
Advancement
School/Learner
Programmes
Educator
Programmes
Space
Applications
Technology
Interchange Platform
Know-how Interchange
Platform
Network
Facilitation
Backbone Space Services
& Infrastructure
Public-Private
Partnerships
Local Market
Facilitation
Global Market
Facilitation
Five Point Value Proposition
• Vision: “To be a leading contributor to the perpetual advancement of society
through the benefits of space science and technology.”

5. Implementation Framework

6. SPACE APPLICATIONS VALUE CHAIN

7. EO Value Chain
• Earth observation data centre
• Data processing centre
• User interface portal
• Suite of services and products
• Adherence to data access and
sharing principles
• Trained researchers and practioners

8. • Maximises SA EO investments through
coordination of South Africa’s EO capacities
• Foster application development to meet
societal needs
• Link to complementary capabilities globally
e.g. through GEO
• “system of systems” drawing on GEOSS
interoperability and data sharing standards
and principles
South African Earth Observation
Strategy (SAEOS)

9. SAEOS
1
23
Data
Services
Metadata
Applications
Models
Products
InteroperabilityStandards

11. GEO and GEOSS
an opportunity for Namibia to engage
at a Global level

12. The Group on Earth
Observations - GEO
U.S. Department of State, Washington DC
July 31, 2003
An Intergovernmental Organization with 88 Members +EC and
61 Participating Organizations

13. : Need for an integrated approach
• Interconnected
physical world
• Interconnected
global
challenges from
poverty
eradication and
fisheries
depletion to
climate change

14. Need for the Group on Earth
Observation (GEO)
• We must understand
the Earth system
• Knowledge of the
Earth system is
fundamental for well
informed economic
and social decision
making
• Economy is to a huge
amount tied to the
environment Slide courtesy of Ingo Simonis, Meraka

15. Coordinated, Comprehensive and Sustained
10 Year Implementation Plan

16. Principles of GEOSS
• Revolutionize our ability to understand and manage the planet.
• Interconnecting existing and future Earth observation systems.
• Reduce costs, promote international cooperation & serve the
public good.
• Technological advances make it possible; user needs make it
necessary

17. Principles of GEOSS
• One user may require many data sets, while
one data set may serve many users.
• Interlinking observation systems requires
common standards for architecture and data
sharing.
• Disseminate information and analyses
directly to users.

18. GEOSS Common
Infrastructure
Data
Services
Metadata
Applications
Models Products

19. GEOSS Data Sharing Principles
© GEO Secretariat
The GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan (2005) states:
“The societal benefits of Earth observations cannot
be achieved without data sharing.”

20. AfriGEOSS: An
initiative to reinforce
GEOSS in Africa

21. African Participation in GEO
Member Nations:
• Algeria
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Congo, Republic of the
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guinea, Republic of
• Ivory Coast
• Mali
• Mauritius
• Morocco
• Niger
• Nigeria
• South Africa
• Sudan
• Tunisia
• Uganda
• Ivory Coast
Participating Organizations:
• AARSE
• ACMAD
• EIS-Africa
• RCMRD
• UNECA
Europe
China
Argentina
India
USA
“48
States”
New
Zealand

22. © GEO Secretariat
• Coordinate and bring
together relevant
stakeholders, institutions
and agencies across Africa
that are involved in GEO
and other Earth observation
activities;
• Provide a platform for
countries to participate in
GEO and to contribute to
GEOSS;
• Assist in knowledge sharing
and global collaborations;
AfriGEOSS objectives
Source: NASA, 2001
Africa at Night

23. © GEO Secretariat
• Identify challenges, gaps
and opportunities for
African contributions to
GEO and GEOSS;
• Leverage existing
capacities and planned
assets and resources;
and
• Develop an appropriate
strategy and participatory
model for achieving the
above goals.
…Objectives

24. © GEO Secretariat
Priority Actions
• Engage with regional agencies and training
centres
• Coordinated satellite infrastructure pilot projects
• Coordinate data acquisition strategy for Africa.
• African Resources and Environmental
Management Constellation (ARMC)
• AfricaGeoSat-1 Project
• African Monitoring of the Environment for
Sustainable Development (AMESD) and
Monitoring of Environment and Security in Africa
(MESA)

25. © GEO Secretariat
Priority Actions contd
• Promote data democracy and data sharing
• focusing on four pillars of data democracy
• advancing data sharing principles and action
plan (ID-01)
• Organise sessions on GEO and GEOSS at
premier African conferences
• AARSE, AfricaGIS
• Organise regional workshops
• East, Central, North, West, South regions

26. SANSA is currently negotiating
access to SPOT 1-4 data at no
cost to Government users in
SADC countries.
AfriGEOSS in action:
SADC Access to Spot 1-4 data
sli

27. GEO Benefits to South Africa
• Deriving value for the development of the
SAEOS portal.
• Ensuring accurate and complete regional
data & information in global models.
• Ensuring the data democracy principles.
• Contribution to all DST grand challenges.

28. GEO Benefits from South Africa
• Creating awareness of developing country needs.
• South African Environmental Observation Network
(SAEON).
• SAEOS portal made globally accessible.
• Risk and vulnerability atlas.
• African resource monitoring constellation.
• Use of local experts.

29. • Objectives:
1. Develop a draft African Space Policy, and
2. Develop a draft African Space Strategy.
• Composition:
•2 member countries per region
• North Africa - Algeria and Egypt,
• West Africa - Nigeria and Ghana,
• East Africa - Kenya and Tanzania,
• Central Africa - Congo and Cameroon,
• Southern Africa - South Africa and Namibia.
African Space Strategy Working Group

30. • Scope:
• Policy and Strategy - development of a shared vision
for Africa.
• Programmes - articulation of programmes, projects
and a governance structure for such.
• Infrastructure and facilities - identification of existing
and additional requirements for space related
infrastructure and facilities.
• Capacity development - identify the human and
institutional capacity needed.
• Cooperation - identification of current and potential
partnerships, both regionally and internationally.
• Resources - consider the resource implications.
Mandate of the WG (2)

31. Space Policy Development
Work Plan (2)
FOCUS
Governance
and
Management
Access to
space
User needs
Market
Development
Regional &
international
cooperation

32. Thank you
Paida Mangara: pmangara@sansa.org.za