The overall objective of the AMESD programme in the IGAD sub-region is to enhance the assessment and monitoring of land degradation and natural habitats for sustainable land management.

Five (5) expected results have been formulated from the above objective:

1. Management capacity for the successful implementation and communication strategies for circulation of information and awareness raising.
2. Improved access to existing basic EO, field and ancillary data to IGAD users is ensured.
3. Operational information services are established in the field of land degradation and natural habitat conservation to improve policy and decision-making processes.
4. Political and policy frameworks strengthened to ensure active and sustainable participation of IGAD member states in the global environmental surveillance initiatives.
5. Adequate technical capacity of major stakeholders in IGAD is reached.

The general objective of ICPAC as the regional implementing centre (RIC) in IGAD will be to contribute towards the achievement of the above objectives by coordinating all actors to ensure the successful implementation of the action.

Specific objectives for the RIC are to:

1. Assess and strengthen existing networks and institutions related to the theme "Land degradation mitigation and natural habitat conservation" in order to constitute the regional thematic network. The actors of the network will include (i) the regional thematic partner, (ii) the collaborating associate institutions (iii) the target groups and (iv) the end-user community. The regional thematic partner will contribute to the elaboration and management of information to and from associates, target groups and end-users. The purpose of the network will be to achieve an efficient and easy means for sharing information/data, and to promote the participation of its members to the development and execution of the thema objectives.
2. Carry out needs assessments of AMESD services by means of regular network workshops and continuous follow-ups.
3. Define and develop methodologies related to the application of satellite data to land degradation and assessment and monitoring.
4. Design, develop and operate operational geo-information services aiming at the production and distribution to the key beneficiaries of the project of a number of specific products assessing land degradation and changes in natural habitat areas in the IGAD region.
5. Ensure access to basic EO data (climate and vegetation products e.g. NDVI) for the regional theme partner, associates, target groups and end-users, through the Eumetcast receiving stations. Data will be collected, formatted and checked for quality and then use the data to generate intermediate/final products and thereafter, archive, exchange and share them within the network.
6. Ensure the sustainability of the AMESD services through adequate trainings and human capacity building. Training will be organized for experts/trainers as well as for end users in the functioning of the receiving stations, application of the delivered services and products, general thematic topics related to remote sensing, GIS, database management, land degradation, natural habitat conservation, and environmental policy.
7. Ensure that information and services are delivered to and used by policy and decision makers at sub-regional, national and local levels through training, demonstrations and awareness raising initiatives.

Please find the AMESD IGAD Thema newsletter of the months May, June and July 2010 at the following link:

http://amesd.org/en/library/cat_view/43-newsletter.html

 

Nairobi, Kenya (29 July 2010): The AMESD IGAD Kick off Workshop, which was organized by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) - an intergovernmental organization of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 21st - 23rd July 2010 at Intercontinental Hotel. The workshop marks the official start of the regional action on land degradation and natural habitat conservation, and paves the way to the three years implementation, up to the 10th May 2013, of the AMESD IGAD regional action.

The workshop gave the opportunity in officially presenting to the national, regional and international partners the future services and products that they will be using once developed, reviewing in depth the implementation plan and activities and discussing cross-cutting issues such as satellite data access and capacity building.

Participants of the Workshop

12 July 2010 (Nairobi, Kenya): The month of June 2010 marked the start of the 8 deployment batches that will allow the installation of 51 AMESD Thematic stations in Africa for environment related institutions (9 full AMESD station in the IGAD region) and 50 upgrades of the PUMA platforms for National Met services.


The technical room at the ICPAC equipped with the E-station and PUMA station (11/06/2010)


As the 1st country to be targeted, KENYA saw in June the deployment of 4 AMESD thematic stations (DRSRS, ICPAC, SWALIM, KMFRI), 2 PUMA upgrade (KMD and ICPAC) and the upgrade of the regional training laboratory (IMTR).


The next batches of deployments will follow in the planning to cover all the IGAD member states.