Technologies and Wisdoms
Sustainable
Development in Africa
&
Satellites
How was this book born?
This book-magazine is about Africa by Africans for Africans, for worldwide deciders, and for all the people
who care about sustainable development and the contribution space technology may provide.The aim is
to showcase space-based applications addressing sustainable development issues across Africa. In this
respect some of the best African experts share their concerns and their hopes in the application of these
technologies to address sustainable development in Africa.
The original English version was co-published by Thales Alenia Space, and its three partners within the
AMESD (African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development) project, who teamed up with
Suds-Concepts, a French publishing company.
This new version, in English and French is co-published by Thales Alenia Space, GEO (Group on Earth
Observations) and Suds-Concepts, with the support of Telespazio France and ESA-ESRIN (European Space
Research Institute, the ESA Centre for Earth Observation).
Thales Alenia Space is a world reference for Systems, Satellites, Instruments, Equipment, space
infrastructure and Ground segments, designed for Telecommunications, Science, Earth Observation,
Navigation, Defence and Security applications.
The company’s main references in Environment monitoring are: COSMO-SkyMed, Envisat, Jason, SMOS,
GMES Sentinels 1 and 3, SARAL and the Meteosat satellites for ESA/Eumetsat.
GEO (Group on Earth Observations), a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations
(90 and 67 respectively as of October 2013), is coordinating efforts to build the Global Earth Observation
System of Systems (GEOSS) to fully exploit the growing potential of Earth observation data and information
to support decision making in societal areas such as disasters risk reduction, health, energy, climate,
water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity.
ESA’s Earth Observation Envelope Programme plays an essential role in advancing science and ensuring Europe
keeps pace with the challenges of a changing world. From the vantage point of space, satellites offer the only
means of monitoring the entire planet. Carrying increasingly sophisticated observational capabilities, they are
able to deliver critical information to explore and understand the complexities of how Earth works as a system,
and detect changes taking place.
To improveourunderstandingof natural Earthprocesses, this robust programme harnesses therelationshipbetween
science and technology to forge innovative missions that address the most urgent scientific questions of our time.
Telespazio group—a subsidiary of Thales and Finmeccanica— is a worldwide key global supplier of satellite-
based services and applications. Telespazio group develops an innovative offer dedicated to professionals
on Defence and institutional markets, media, retail economy, oil & gas, transportation and environment.
Telespazio France is helping to speed the spreading of space technology for businesses, local authorities
and civil societies.
Together, we agreed to take this opportunity to enlarge the audience of this book-magazine.
Enjoy your reading!
1
