The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) took part in the 2nd General Assembly of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) from May 20th to 22nd in Krakow. Through the participation of its GMES&Africa – North Africa project, the OSS reaffirmed its central role in promoting geospatial technologies for sustainable development in Africa. At this major event, which brought together the community of users, experts, decision-makers, and industrialists committed to leveraging Earth Observation data, the OSS not only represented its regional mandate for sustainable natural resources management, but also carried the voice of the African continent.
The OSS participation was marked by its active presence in interactive discussions on user needs, highlighting African specificities and regional priorities. Technical meetings were organized with the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service team to discuss new multi-temporal products. Discussions also focused on future collaborations, positioning the OSS as a key player in adapting Copernicus services to African realities and enabling it to highlight the concrete achievements of the GMES&Africa project, particularly in agricultural monitoring, crop mapping, and yield forecasting.
Through this participation, the OSS reaffirms its commitment to strengthening African countries' Earth Observation capacities and developing geospatial solutions adapted to the region's climate, environmental, and agricultural challenges. The GMES&Africa project is fully in line with this dynamic, leveraging innovation for informed decision-making at the national and regional levels.