COPAR and GMES&Africa: Advocacy and Mobilization of Spatial Data for Improved Sustainable Land Management in North Africa
Co-organized by the OSS and the DRC, the GMES&Africa regional workshop brought together experts from the institutional, scientific, and private sectors in Cairo from July 7 to 9, 2025, with a shared objective: strengthening the use of spatial data for sustainable and optimal natural resource management.
In this context, Mr. Hamda Foughali, information technology expert and Head of the OSS Watch, Prospective, and Capacity Building Division, presented the COPAR project led with the AFD. He emphasized the strategic role of the project as an advocacy tool against environmental degradation, highlighting its direct impacts on livelihoods, food security, and migration dynamics in North Africa.
The presentation explained how did COPAR capitalize on the expertise of the GMES&Africa program to strengthen the OSS advocacy efforts in sustainable land management. This synergy truly came to light through the organization, in 2024 in Tunis, of an international conference dedicated to combating land degradation, during which a summary for decision-makers entitled "African Land: The Degradation and the Absolute Requirement of Sustainable Management" was officially launched.
The crucial role of initiatives such as COPAR in leveraging the impact of the MISLAND, MISBAR, GuetCrop, and SAQIYA platforms and services, developed within the framework of GMES, in supporting public decision-making and strengthening the resilience of land and ecosystems, was also highlighted.
This synergy between science, political commitment, and operational action constitutes a fundamental pillar for addressing the challenges of sustainable development in Africa.