CropWatch-ICP Regional Center Launched to Enhance Agricultural Resilience in West Africa
July 19, 2024
From July 2 to 5, the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD), the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO), and the National Space Research and Development Agency of Nigeria (NASRDA) jointly hosted a landmark workshop on advanced crop condition remote sensing monitoring. The event, aimed to enhance agricultural resilience and food security in Nigeria and West Africa, witnessed the inauguration of the first overseas center under the CropWatch Innovation Cooperation Program (CropWatch-ICP) in the region.
This new Regional Center for West Africa is set to play a pivotal role in promoting smart agriculture and resilient farming practices through satellite remote sensing technology. The center will serve as a hub for monitoring, evaluating, and demonstrating sustainable agricultural practices while providing capacity-building training to regional countries. By leveraging China's successful experiences in addressing food security, the center aims to empower West African countries to enhance their crop monitoring capabilities and support food security goals.
At the opening ceremony, AIR Director-general WU Yirong highlighted the significance of the CropWatch global crop monitoring platform. Developed by a team led by Prof. WU Bingfang at AIR, CropWatch facilitates rapid acquisition and analysis of crop condition information, aid in food security decision-making. He affirmed AIR’s commitment to supporting the promotion and application of CropWatch in developing countries, particularly in West Africa, to improve the food security governance capabilities of recipient countries, and advance sustainable development goals.
GONG Haihua, Director of the Asia-Africa Division of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, emphasized the challenges faced by developing countries in achieving food security. She expressed hope that this training provided during the workshop would enhance the crop monitoring capabilities of Nigeria and other African nations, improve resilience to natural disasters, and promote agricultural diversification and sustainability.
Nigeria's Minister of Innovation and Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, received WU Yirong and his delegation during the event. Uche Geoffrey Nnaji underscored the importance of satellite technology in boosting food security and agricultural productivity for Nigeria's sustainable development. He stressed that the establishment of the CropWatch-ICP Regional Center for West Africa would strengthen bilateral cooperation in data sharing, technical exchange, and talent cultivation.
The official unveiling of the regional center was jointly conducted by WU Yirong and Nigeria's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Innovation and Science and Technology, Esuabana Nko Asanye. Esuabana Nko Asanye lauded the efforts of AIR and other partners for making Nigeria the regional host country for the African crop monitoring center. NASRDA Director Matthew Adepoju pledged strong support for the center’s development, ensuring that satellite technology would play a critical role in enhancing food security and promoting agricultural development through international cooperation.
During the conference, WU Bingfang provided an overview of the CropWatch-ICP’s background, execution status, and achievements of CropWatch-ICP, highlighting technical innovations and responses to concerns of developing countries. AIR researcher ZENG Yuan presented key technologies for monitoring crop diversity using remote sensing, and Dr. ZENG Hongwei introduced the development and comprehensive analysis of African crop yield data products.
The workshop included a training session on the CropWatch system, where AIR experts ZHANG Miao, ZENG Hongwei, and TIAN Fuyou introduced to the participants the CropWatch Cloud platform, principles of yield and area monitoring, and operation processes in CropWatch System. The platform can provide real-time crop monitoring services, enabling technical personnel from various countries master and use advanced data processing and index calculation tools for better agricultural policies and food security.
The event concluded with a ceremony where training certificates were awarded to participants. Matthew Adepoju noted that the workshop not only strengthened international scientific and technological cooperation but also provided robust support for agricultural development and food security in Nigeria and broader African region. He expressed optimism that the initiative would enhance the regional center’s capability and support agricultural production guidance through satellite remote sensing technology.
The inauguration ceremony of the CropWatch-ICP Regional Center for West Africa.
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CropWatch-ICP Regional Center Launched to Enhance Agricultural Resilience in West Africa