SERVIR-Africa welcomes the geospatial community to participate and contribute in a number of ways. We are incorporating social networking approaches to improve discovery and use of available resources. Colleagues are encouraged to add items to the community resource registry, as well as rate or comment on the materials therein (rating still to come). There is a blog where people can alert colleagues to a news item of interest or initiate a discussion on a trend or concern. Researchers also can sign up, highlight their work, and find others with common interests. 

Community Resource Registry

Over the past two decades, many initiatives in Africa (or focusing on Africa) have contributed to improved geospatial data availability and access. The Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)-Africa newsletters – published since May 2002, first supported by USAID, then USGS, and currently by the GSDI Association – have been enabling colleagues to discover available resources and opportunities in Africa.  Since August 2008, RCMRD has taken on the responsibility of editing the SDI-Africa newsletters. As part of RCMRD’s efforts, and in partnership with the GSDI Association, RCMRD/SERVIR is organizing and categorizing the content of the newsletters so that highlights can be quickly identified through the SERVIR-Africa Community Resource Registry.  This community resource provides a wealth of information upon which others now can add.

Community Blog

Across the continent, researchers and practitioners are using earth observation data and geospatial technologies.  SERVIR-Africa encourages people to share news of work that is being done and/or comment on what others have added to the Community Blog.

Diaspora Community of African Geospatial Scientists

Jointly with the Department of Geography, University of North Alabama (USA), SERVIR-Africa is is providing a platform for academic and research collaboration through mobilizing the professional, technological, and entrepreneurial expertise and resources of the African Diaspora. The African Diaspora is operationally defined as “people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of citizenship and nationality, who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent.” Geospatial science is defined to include academic and other professional research activities that involve the use of geographic information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems and any other technologies that handle location-based information and spatially-referenced data.