ODINAFRICA III (ODINAFRICA IV IS PROPOSED)

The Government of Flanders supported the development of national oceanographic data centres in the IOCWIO region through the ODINEA (Ocean Data and Information Network for Eastern Africa) project (1998-2001). This led to the development of the Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA) project, supported by Flanders between 2001 and 2003. The ODINAFRICA project aimed at enabling member states from Africa to gain access to data available in other data centres, develop skills for manipulation of data and preparation of data and information products, and develop infrastructure for archival, analysis and dissemination of the data and information products. The objectives of the ODINAFRICA project were:

• Provision of Internet access to marine scientists in Africa;
• Providing assistance in the development and operation of National Oceanographic Data Centres and establish their networking in Africa;
• Providing training opportunities in marine data and information management applying standard formats and methodologies as defined by the IODE;
• Assist in the development and maintenance of national, regional and Pan-African marine metadata and data holding databases;
• Assist in the development of marine data and information products responding to the needs of a wide variety of user groups;
• Reinforce the RECOSCIX-CEA and RECOSCIX-WIO networks as mechanisms for the dissemination of marine data and information to various user groups in Africa;
• Assist in the development of linkages with other international projects with similar objectives (eg GOOS-Africa; Gulf of Guinea LME, etc).

The PACSICOM recommendations, endorsed by Ministers in the Maputo Declaration, called for the following activities to provide a sound information base for local and regional planning:

(a) Formation of an Africa-wide network of national ocean data centres;
(b) Upgrading and expanding the present African network of stations for the monitoring sea-level rise;
(c) Creating a network of specialists trained in the use of data acquired by remote sensing from space satellites;
(d) Facilitating the further implementation of modern electronic communication systems such as Internet connections and data transfer mechanisms.

In addition, the Maputo Declaration recognised the need for further capacity building, especially the following, which are generic and cut across items (a) through (d):

(e) Training and education in marine sciences and technology and their application to sustainable development;
(f) Institutional strengthening; and
(g) Sustainable funding.

Another follow-up to the PACSICOM Recommendations was ODINAFRICA that addresses Recommendations (a): Formation of an Africa-wide network of national ocean data centres; and (d) Facilitating the further implementation of modern electronic communication systems such as Internet connections and data transfer mechanisms. ODINAFRICA resulted the development of a network of functioning data and information centres and the establishment of various new NODCs and the provision of internet access to many institutions.

23 African countries were involved: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo.

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