From 24 November to 5 December 2014, the Algerian Space Agency ASAL offered two training sessions in remote sensing and GIS at the Observatory of the Sahara and the Sahel (OSS) headquarters in Tunis, Algeria.
Fourteen candidates from seven countries were involved in the activities. Among the participating countries were Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Chad.
The training forms part of the agreement with the OSS for the realization by ASAL of three observatories dedicated at mapping services for land use. The observatories will be located in Mauritania, Senegal and Chad and will employ high-resolution satellite imagery delivered from Alsat-2A satellite.
The training sessions focused on remote sensing techniques, by introducing participants to satellite imagery processing, and on the use of ArcGIS 10.2.1 software, by using Alsat-2A core images as background for all applications in practical work.
During these two sessions, the role of Alsat-2A imagery in the Sahara and Sahel sub-region was highlighted in relation to issues such as weather monitoring and environmental protection, desertification, agriculture, water resources.
ASAL is also host to the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO) in Algeria, which was established as a part of the Central Agency for Civil Protection to address emergencies in North Africa and the Sahel region.
