Ghana to benefit from $1m US maritime protection Web apps programme
Ghana is one of the countries that will benefit from a $1 million US Department of Defense (DoD) programme to develop web applications for use in maritime protection. Students of the University of Ghana will work to develop the application for the programme.
A report by the online news source, Design News says the DoD and the office of Naval Research (ONR) have teamed up to fund the design of Web applications that will help countries better protect and police their local waters.
Dr. Augustus Vogel, associate director of ONR Global Latin America told the publication that the DoD will provide $1 million to the ONR’s International Collaborative Development for Enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness (ICODE MDA) project.
According to the report, the project is working with partners in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, and other countries to create maritime protection applications.
It indicates that the programme will fund projects by graduate students from universities in those countries — such as the Technical University of Federico Santa Maria in Chile and the University of Ghana — to create Web-based data analysis apps, or widgets, that sailors and maritime operators can use to combat specific problems in coastal waters.
“The key thing in working with the partners is each one of them has maritime challenges off their coast,” Vogel was cited to have said to the publication.
The idea behind the project is to provide real-time access to information to help naval and other maritime operators keep a closer eye on activity, identify anything suspicious, and aid in search-and-rescue operations, Vogel told Design News.
Maritime operation centers would use the apps on an Internet device in their offices and provide information to ships in the area.
In Ghana, the programme will focus on dealing with the problem of over fishing in the country’s coastal waters.
The ONR also is working with the University of Pretoria, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, and the University of Mauritius.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
Excellent project, Ghanaian students involve should be mindful of such opportunity and deligence in working hard to make the project such success. Reaseach and development is good thing sooner the better. Ghana and African coastline is being raided by thieves of all kinds. sooner the better