In order to improve the production, access and use of information derived from satellite data in Niger, two (2) satellite data reception stations installed in 2015 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock have been rehabilitated with the support of the West African Food System Resilience Programme.
This support, which covers technical equipment and capacity-building for users, will enable these stations to become operational. This equipment provides important real-time information on temperatures, rainfall, vegetation (pastures, crops), the level of water in ponds and bush fires, all of which is used for forecasting and decision-making in the agro-pastoral sector.
This support will enable stakeholders and partners in Niger's agricultural system to better manage information and facilitate planning and decision-making, while contributing to the regional effort to address environment, climate, food security and related issues by improving access to and exploitation of relevant earth observation applications in Africa.
Following the acquisition and installation of the additional equipment, twenty-six (26) technicians, made up of administrators from the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) stations and thematic specialists, were trained.
The learners were equipped with techniques for managing a MESA-type station, including the station's organisation chart, the operation of the machines and the systems installed, the reception of satellite data and its quality, the processing and archiving of the data received, the handling of current problems and the use of the data received.
With the knowledge they have acquired, the learners are now able to produce ten-monthly bulletins for use by agropastoralists and agricultural producers, while keeping decision-makers informed.
