ODINAFRICA III (ODINAFRICA IV IS PROPOSED)

Democratization of Odinafrica III
To facilitate the implementation of the present project it is divided for convenience into a set of 5 Work Packages (WP), in each of which the potential stakeholders forming part of the NODC should be involved to ensure that the outcomes are relevant to users’ needs

WP 1. Project Management and Coordination

The main objective is to ensure that the work programme is implemented as anticipated, producing expected deliverables in a timely fashion with respect to the agreed time frame and roadmap. Keys for the success of the project are the co-ordination of activities and responsibilities within the Project Management Team; the optimisation of human and technological resources; and building up a strong co-operative and co-ordinating network.

WP 2 The Coastal Observing System
The implementation strategy for WP 2 will be based upon a combination of procurement and installation of equipment, training and operational support, in line with the successful ODINAFRICA strategy:
• Procurement of new and multi parameter equipment (tide gauges plus ancillary sensors).
• Identification of suitable sites for new equipment installation.
• Installation and maintenance of equipment.
• Upgrading of communication facilities at observing stations.
• Provision of software for analysis of data
• Training and other relevant capacity building

WP 3 Data and Information Management

WP 3 will focus on strengthening the existing NODCs established under ODINAFRICA, a project established by twenty Member States of the IOC (Benin, Cameroon, Comores, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Tunisia) with support from -IOC and the Government of Flanders. The objective of ODINAFRICA was to enable IOC member states in Africa to obtain access to ocean data and information, to develop skills for manipulation of data and to develop infrastructure for archival, analysis and dissemination of the data and information products. This objective was achieved through the establishment of NODC and DNA in the participating member states.

The centres that have been established within the framework of ODINAFRICA have embarked on development of meta databases and data archives (including repatriation of African data hosted by other data centres), development of data and information products (eg maps, atlases), and public awareness creation on the project’s products and services (eg newsletters, websites, brochures, national meetings). In order to improve networking between the ODINAFRICA institutions, databases developed at national level (such as directories, meta databases, library catalogues etc) have been collected, quality controlled and formatted for access via the Internet in order to encourage broader usage. Training and follow-up support in marine data and information management was provided to experts from the participating institutions. This, combined with the provision of equipment, was very successful and has provided a solid foundation at the national and regional level. Several of the institutions have already embarked on preparation of national marine atlases. The report of the External Evaluation of the ODINAFRICA project undertaken in 2002 was positive and recommended a continuation of the project. The report identified a few areas for improvement such as internet connectivity, disparities in capacity of the different institutions, and the need for equipment for preparation of products for ICAM (eg GIS equipment).

The next phase in the development of the data and information centres should focus on using the facilities and expertise that have been developed by ODINAFRICA to generate products for effective management of the coastal and marine areas of Africa. Several meetings held in Africa have identified keys issues that need to be addressed to ensure the development and protection of the coastal zones of Africa. In particular the following have been identified as key areas that need to be addressed: Coastal Erosion, management of key ecosystems and habitats, pollution, sustainable use of living resources (especially fisheries), tourism, management of ports, navigation and shipping.

WP 4 Product Development including Numerical Modelling and Forecasting

The provision of a continual stream of oceanographic data to data centres provides the essential pre-condition for the generation of a wide range of products for potential users. Products range from tidal forecasts for a port, to storm surge forecasts for a region, to maps of sea surface temperature, and to forecasts of changing oceanic and atmospheric conditions on a variety of time scales (hourly, daily, monthly, yearly, seasonally). Individual data centres could generate many products, however, a key role for data centres is to identify the best use that can be made of their data. In many countries operational forecasting of ocean conditions (waves, swell, storm surges, currents, and so on) is done by the meteorological services, who need improved ocean data streams to improve their forecasts. Therefore to achieve improved forecasts as an outcome requires data centres to forge partnerships with appropriate partners nationally and/or regionally. In many instances it is the partners who will have the desired numerical modelling capability. Nevertheless, numerical modelling should be encouraged within data centres for the production of more advanced products than simple maps.

WP 5 End-user Communication and Information Delivery
This cross cutting element is designed to build up a delivery system tailored to the requirements of end-users, and derived from interactions with stakeholders during the development of the project. Efforts must be made to ascertain stakeholders’ (end-users’) needs and the potential socio-economic benefits of the activities. Among other things, this requires development of a methodological approach for assessing and monitoring the impacts of the project’s products (coastal and marine information and forecasts) at the continental level.

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