Satellite imagery training for SA water resource specialists

The training programme formed part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Tiger Initiative, which is concerned with employing space technology to improve water resource management in Africa.

The Tiger Initiative was launched in 2002, in South Africa (following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg), but the latest annual workshop was the first to be held in this country. "Our partnerships with South Africa have always been important pillars in our initiative," ESA programme manager Dr Diego Fernandez-Prieto told Engineering News. "The use of satellite technology is integral to water resource management," Tiger Initiative principle investigator professor Bob Su said. "Water can be monitored from space at several different stages of the hydrological cycle using Earth observation (EO) satellites."

According to Su, building capacity among water sector professionals in Africa to ensure that EO data is applied effectively in managing the region's water is a critical focus of the Tiger Initiative. Diego Fernandez-Prieto praised the programme: "[w]e are seeing excellent results from programme participants who are now using satellite imagery," he said. "Many have published research papers in the field and succeeded in securing the support from local authorities and government entities in their countries to improve water resource management practices."

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