SERVIR integrates satellite observations and predictive models with other geographic information (sensor and field-based) to monitor and forecast ecological changes and respond to natural disasters.  This evolving regional visualization and monitoring platform is being established in Africa to improve scientific knowledge and decision-making in a range of application areas (e.g., biodiversity conservation, disaster management, agricultural development, climate change adaptation, etc.).

In 2008, NASA and CATHALAC partnered with the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) based in Nairobi, Kenya, and together they began setting up SERVIR's East Africa node.  The SERVIR-Africa project is building upon RCMRD’s existing strengths, and augmenting RCMRD’s data management and training capability.  Efforts complement RCMRD’s core mission and provide a springboard for the development of applications customized for RCMRD’s member states.

Implementation is proceeding in a phased approach. The first phase is devoted to identification of geospatial portal requirements, prioritizing activities, and pursuing a gradual process of SERVIR community-building.  SERVIR-Africa from the onset will take advantage of existing capabilities at RCMRD to move quickly on establishing the backbone of the SERVIR database management system and portal.  Once basic infrastructure gaps are filled, we will focus on the development of new information services and applications and a long-term strategy.  Inital applications will address three societal benefit areas: disasters (flood potential mapping, flood forecasting, and post-event flood mapping), health (Rift Valley Fever risk mapping), and biodiversity (impacts of climate change on biodiversity and coral reef monitoring).