Capitalizing on Achievements in the Use of Earth Observation and Cloud Computing Technologies for Monitoring Land Degradation

Tunis, 18–19 November 2025

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory and Digital Earth Africa (DE-Africa) are co-organizing in Tunis, on 18 and 19 November 2025, a technical workshop entitled: “Capitalizing on Achievements in the Use of Earth Observation and Cloud Computing Technologies for Monitoring Land Degradation.”

This hybrid event brings together experts and key decision-makers from Tunisian and Burkinabe institutions—including vital sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forestry, environment, meteorology, and statistics. The central objective of this meeting is twofold: to take stock of the successes achieved and to plan the long-term integration of DE-Africa services for optimized management of land and natural resources.

The opening ceremony is marked by the intervention of Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, Executive Secretary of the OSS. He stresses the urgent need for national institutions to accelerate their adoption of advanced technologies. Mr. Ben Khatra firmly asserts that Earth Observation, cloud computing, and Artificial Intelligence should no longer be viewed as options, but as essential tools for comprehensive and regular monitoring of land degradation—an insidious phenomenon. He concludes by reaffirming OSS’s full commitment to supporting national partners in this technological capacity-building effort.

Building on this momentum, Mr. Joseph Tuyishimire, representing DR-Africa, highlights the transformative role of the Sandbox tool in supporting sustainable natural resource management. Praising the dedication of the user communities established in Tunisia and Burkina Faso, he calls for accelerated and widespread adoption of the platform’s services at the national level.

The workshop activities unfold around a rich and interactive agenda combining theoretical presentations, concrete practical demonstrations, and experience sharing. Participants are actively engaged, using DE-Africa services to generate immediate thematic products covering vegetation monitoring, agricultural areas, water resources, and, of course, land degradation.

This expert workshop is also a privileged platform for strengthening synergies. The discussions help reinforce the links between the DE-Africa initiative and other major programs, such as GMES&Africa and COPERNICEA, with the aim of enriching the range of thematic solutions and resources specifically adapted to the Tunisian context.

At the end of the workshop, a roadmap will be developed. Future actions will focus on continuing to strengthen user capacities and on developing emblematic and relevant use cases. This methodical approach will be designed to ensure the long-term integration and maximum optimization of the benefits of using DE-Africa services within institutions, thereby making a decisive contribution to improved governance of natural resources.