Digital Earth Africa: Earth observations for sustainability in Africa

Abstract

The concept of “Digital Earth” was put forward in 1998 by the then Vice-President of the United States of America, Al Gore. Since then, Digital Earth has evolved to embrace the development and adoption of technologies such as Earth observation, geo information systems, global positioning systems, geospatial science and technology and space sciences. The main objectives of the side event are to showcase the development of Digital Earth Africa as a unique information resource for sustainable development across Africa and to explain how Digital Earth Africa is being applied in areas such as national statistics, agriculture and water resources. The goal of Digital Earth Africa is to deliver an exceptional fit-for-purpose platform that can translate over 50 years of Earth observation satellite imagery into information and insights on the changing African landscape and coastline, which will open new data frontiers for tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.