GMES Flipbook Final_English

Photos & Figures
GMES & AFRICA (MARINE)
WEST AFRICA
A compendium of major activities
carried out by the UG-GMES
consortium, 2018 - 2021.

Marine and Coastal Areas
Management in Western Africa
University of Ghana GMES and Africa Management Team
The University of Ghana, together with seven partners, is implementing the Marine
and Coastal Areas Management in western Africa project under the GMES and
Africa programme. From 2018 to 2021 the action provided decision-makers with
information and tools to support effective marine and coastal resources management
in western Africa. This is being achieved through delivering Earth Observation (EO)
services that enhance the formulation of marine, fisheries and environmental policies
and decision-making at the national and regional level.
GMES and Africa is an earth observation programme of the African Union
jointly established with the European Union, and designed to strengthen
capacities in Africa for the optimal exploitation and utilisation of Earth
observation systems, data and technologies towards the continent’s
sustainable development.

DATA ACCESS

Data Repository & and Data access Portals and STrategies
A Geoportal has been developed for data repository, accessibility
and user support: https://geoportal.gmes.ug.edu.gh/. Available for
Fisheries and Coastal Managers, Researchers and Academia.
Earth Observation data provided by Copernicus and Eumetsat
for the west African region was given to national institutions to
work with.
Additional data was collected via unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
for satellite data validation.
A data sharing strategy developed.
GEONETCAST STATIONs
for data aquisition, processing and
visualization.

The GMES Geoportal: A data repository making data available to everyone © GMES.

Data Collection with Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), i.e. drones, for
validation of satellite data.

EARTH OBSERVATION
Products & services

fisheries Services
4 Products
Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ).
PFZs overlaid with vessel trajectories.
Country and Exclusive Economic Zone-specific
fishing vessels monitoring report.
Number of fishing vessels per EEZ in West African waters.

Earth Observation Monitoring for Fisheries Management.

Oceanographic Services
4 Products
Daily forecast of 5 oceanographic variables for the west African region.
Daily sea state forecast map.
Daily ocean state early warning alerts generated for 12 beneficiary countrie.
2 USSD codes developed to access 3-day ocean early warning alerts.

Over 70,000
USSD requests completed, making early warning
alert available to our beneficiaries in Ghana and
Nigeria alone.
USSD CODES
Ghana: *920*88# Nigeria: *348*87#

Coastal Ecosystem Services
• 1 Google Earth Engine App developed to
monitor Coastal Vulnerability and Land use of
the coastal belt of west Africa.
• 4 Regional maps available online via the
geoportal.

Mangrove in West Africa 2015.
Mangrove Extent - Keta Lagoon Complex (2016 - 2020).
Shoreline change rate - West Africa.

CAPACITY Strengthening

Regional Training Workshops
3 Workshops
56 Participants
35 Institutions
Trained in the application of EO to monitor the
Marine and Coastal Environments.

Promoting Open-source software
Benin
Ghana
COTE d’Ivoire
3 GMes OPEN-SOURCE CLUBS
created in 3 countries to build
capacity on the use of remote
sensing and Earth Observation
tools and applications.

INnovation Challenge 2019
A Regional Innovation Challenge Competition.
30 Startups, young freelance developers and
communicators engaged.

IoT Incubation
Challenge 2021

76 APPLICATIONS, 17 COUNTRIES & 52 TEAMS
Battled it out, creating innovative solutions to problems faced by various industries
associated with the marine and coastal sectors in Africa.

All participants/Teams recieved the best of support from awesone resource persons who mentored them and helped them
execute thir tasks. They recieved guidance in the area of IoT, 3D printing, programming, electronics etc.

Winning Team took home $5000.00
First and Second runner-ups also
received $4000.00 and $3000.00
respectively.
1st Prize Winner
2nd Prize Winner
3rd Prize Winner

Women in Tech Initiative
Engagement of second cycle institutions on the
coastal belt of Ghana on STEM Education of the
girls.
Training-of-Trainers workshop for teachers.

Special Symposium on
Women in Technology held
for second cycle institution
girls, in November2021.

Academic fellowships and Academia
A total of 7 MSc. Grants in
Marine & Coastal sciences
Awarded for post graduate degree studies
at University of Ghana and Université Félix
Houphouet-Boigny.
More than 350 Professionals, Lecturers
& Students introduced to EO tools and
Applications.

Communication, Awareness
CREATION and Knowledge
Management

DIssemination of Information
A Strategic Communication Plan developed.
7 Dissemination platforms (2 websites,1 blog, social media platforms - Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
10 Communication materials (Newsletters, Awareness bulletins, Policy briefs)
More than 1,150 scientific bulletins at regional and national level.
More than1 800 maps, graphs and reports disseminated daily to stakeholders in 12 ECOWAS
countries by e-mail and accessible via the UG-GMES geoportal.
More than 200 sea state forecast maps distributed daily.
Ocean State Alerts communicated in 3 different languages (English, French and Portuguese).
1 Mobile Application (GMES-UG) developed to access ocean state forecasts and fishing vessels
information in West Africa's Exclusive Economic Zones. Available on Android and iOS phones.
35 shorts videos radio spots and more than 50 articles published on project platforms.

Websites, Social Media and Blogs are some of the
platforms for information dissemination.

Ensuring project Visibility
18 different types of GMES branded visibility
materials.
More than 16,000 branded materials printed and
distributed.

10
Comm.
Materials

Ocean State Early Warning Alert via GMES-UG Mobile App.

Traditional Media & Innovative Ideas
“Bukom Banku Live” is a weekly standup educative and entertaining TV show used as medium to
communicate the Ocean state and Weather at Sea. More than 24 Shows on national TV station in 2020
More than 48, 000 views of one of the shows on YouTube.

Reaching End Users of Developed Marine and
Coastal Products.

4
International exhibitions graced by dignitaries
such as the AUC Commissioner; Ministers of
States; Ambassadors and Head of delegations,
donors; private sector; policy makers at
international, regional and national levels.

World International Days Celebrations
4 online competitions to celebrate at the regional level, the
World Oceans Days & World Environment Day 2020.
10 Events (information sessions and events, planning of trees, public lectures, engagement of school children, whale
watch) stakeholders on World Oceans Day 2019, 2020 and 2021 International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove
Ecosystem 2020 celebrated in Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire and other brnrficiary countries.

9 Regional meetings
organized

Regional meetings
3
Regional Policy and Advisory Committee (RPAC) meetings. Accra –
Ghana, Nov. 2018; Cotonou – Benin, Dec. 2019; Accra-Ghana, Nov.
2021.
3
Regional Steering and Coordinating Committee (RSCC) meetings. Accra
– Ghana, Nov. 2018. Cotonou – Benin, Dec. 2019; Accra-Ghana, Nov.
2021.
A Joint GMES and ECOWAS Workshop. Grand Bassam - Cote d’Ivoire. Feb.
2020.
A Technological Conference, Accra-Ghana, Nov. 2021.
A Women in Tech Symposium, Accra-Ghana, Nov. 2021.

Activities at national levels
12 national networks created to help disseminate
information, collect data, and reach policy makers and
final beneficiaries with the EO services.
Contribution to establishment of Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs) In West Africa.
Cross fertilization with national initiatives.

Monitoring Visit of the Programme Management
Unit - AUC, Accra - Ghana.

Participation in Crossfertilization
events
17 International events for
awareness creation, networking and
cross-fertilization.

Key speakers at marine and coastal conferences.
Collaboration among the 3 GMES consortia in West Africa.

GMES team with rep of Mercator at a Cross-Fertilization
Conference in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire.

Private Sector Involvement

Involvement of Private Sector
18 Private Companies involved in mobile
application and geoportal developments,
innovation and incubation challenges,
capacity building, making of videos
documentaries and promotion of EO services.
86 Private companies, Startups, CSOs,
NGOs, Freelance and Individuals engaged in
Earth observations applications.

00beff
Regional Marine Centre
University of Ghana
c/o P.O. Box LG 99
Legon, Accra.
Geoportal/Géoportail: geoportal.gmes.ug.edu.gh
Blog: regionalmarinecentreug.blogspot.com
Website: gmes.ug.edu.gh
Website: gmes.rmc.africa
Email/Courriel: rmc@ug.edu.gh
Regional Marine Centre
ug_gmes
UG-GMES_Regional Marine Centre
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Cover images source: Mr Rockson Armaah