AU, EU sign €37m financing agreement on environmental security

A financing agreement between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission of the EU has been signed to facilitate sustainable access to Africa-wide environmental information derived from Earth Observation technologies.

Through the agreement, the EU will fund a new €37 million programme called the ‘Monitoring of Environment and Security in Africa (MESA), said the AU in a statement March 29, 2012.

The programme will run until 2018, the AU said with the objective to address the need for “improved management of natural resources and environmental security towards sustainable development in Africa, at continental, regional and national levels, including all sub-Saharan African countries”.

The programme builds on over 10 years of EU support to earth observation applications in Africa.

By Ekow Quandzie