ASREN has become a Partner to Group on Earth Observations

ASREN has become a Partner to Group on Earth Observations

Posted on: 13 Dec, 2023

The Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) has recently been approved as a Participating Partner to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) – which includes Member governments of 102 nations, the European Commission, and 103 Participating Organisations (international bodies with a commitment to advance Earth observations (EO). GEO operates on a voluntary partnership basis to leverage and co-ordinate EO activities to help tackle major global environmental challenges. ASREN will contribute towards GEO’s objectives by helping connect existing North African EO centres to the North African research and education networks, thus providing the e-Infrastructure essential for EO data acquisition, processing and distribution. ASREN will engage with the EO research community to assess and meet its data-communications needs and liaise with governments and other stakeholders in the Arab region.

ASREN’s primary objective is to assist the implementation of GEO’s new African Global Earth Observation System of Systems (AfriGEOSS) which held its inaugural meeting last April at Victoria Falls and sets out to focus current GEO activities across Africa. AfriGEOSS aims to engage at governmental and scientific levels and concentrate initially on strengthening EO for food security and agriculture and sustainable forest management areas. ASREN will work closely with GÉANT - the pan-European research and education network which is already a GEO Partner, and with WACREN in Western and Central Africa and the UbuntuNet Alliance in Eastern and Southern Africa, to harness their efforts to promote pan-African R&E networking through their AfricaConnect2 project to support the implementation of AfriGEOSS.  

About Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations”. GEO membership includes 102 Member governments and 95 Participating Organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in Earth observations. Together, the GEO community is creating a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that will link Earth observation resources world-wide across multiple Societal Benefit Areas - Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sustainability; Disaster Resilience; Energy and Mineral Resources Management; Food Security; Infrastructure & Transportation Management; Public Health Surveillance; Sustainable Urban Development; and Water Resources Management - and make those resources available for informed decision-making.

About the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN)

Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) is the association of the Arab region National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) and strategic partners, that aims to implement, manage and extend sustainable Pan-Arab e-Infrastructures dedicated for the Research and Education communities and to boost scientific research and cooperation in member countries through the provision of world-class e-Infrastructures and E-services. 

About AfricaConnect2

AfricaConnect2 is an EU-funded pan-African connectivity project that aims to support the development and consolidation of high-capacity regional internet networks for R&E across Africa and their interconnection with the pan-European GÉANT network, creating a continental gateway for collaborative research and education across and beyond Africa. For more information, visit https://www.africaconnect2.net