The 23rd MARS conference provided a valuable platform to exchange and discuss recent developments and experiences regarding the application of remote sensing within the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS).

Special focus was placed on the future orientation of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Simultaneously, the European Commission released in Brussels and at the MARS conference the conceptual outline of the future of food and farming within CAP 2020. With simpler rules, a more flexible approach and comprehensive inclusion of Sentinel data, a paradigm shift in the regulations and in the control technology will take place.

GAF is currently completing the AMGI-ESA project. The African Mineral Geoscience Initiative (AMGI), promoted by the World Bank, is an initiative for the collection, the consolidation, the interpretation and the dissemination of national and regional geoscience data.

In this frame, GAF has developed products based on Sentinel data and other satellite data (optical, radar and DEM) in four demonstration areas in Africa in different climate zones. The products are integrated together in a database with geophysical and ancillary data for a synoptic interpretation.

The GMES & Africa Support Programme is organising the offical grant award ceremony and a capacity building workshop for the successful consortia (Regional Implementation Centres) of GMES & Africa , from 28th November to 1st December 2017 in Abidjan, Cote d`Ivoire.

The event takes place in the frame of the 5th EU-Africa Summit.

From 27 proposals received 13 have been selected for contract award. The evaluation has been performed by the Evaluation Committee of the African Union Commission (AUC) and a team of assessors, consisting of a broad-based cohort of African experts. The Committee comprises officials of various stakeholder departments of the AUC.

When big corporates or financing organisations like Banks have to monitor the progress of a major infrastructure development project somewhere on the globe, space technology allows now something really astonishing: On virtually every place on the globe and without any field activity 3D visualizations displaying detailed surface characteristics can be generated. Using a powerful analysis-, visualization and software package, any investor, owner, or manager is able to follow project progress in short intervals down to days. Due to recent developments in resolution, quality and collection capabilities of today’s optical satellite systems together with advances in computer vision, elevation models down to 30cm resolution can be created and even very small objects can be observed, measured and monitored.

The AfricaGIS takes place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 20-24 November under the motto: Geospatial and Statistical information imperatives for the ‘Africa We Want’.

The GMES & Africa Program is present through its director Dr. Ouattara as a key-note speaker. Together with the GAF Technical Assistance Team two papers will be delivered on "Transforming land based resources management" and "Geospatial information and the blue economy".

For more information please visit www.africagis2017.org

Based on its 20 year experience in designing and implementing mineral cadastre systems for jurisdictions across the globe, GAF has been tasked to take care of the implementation of a modern mining cadastre in the Republic of Tadjikistan. Following a thorough analysis of the administrative preconditions, the mineral law and the regulatory framework, the GAF team has established cadastral procedures following international best practice. Based on this achievement, a suitable open source computerized platform has been designed, developed and now implemented enabling the transparent management of licenses and tender processes. The solution implemented is based on the proven eMC+ environment.

SAR data have successfully been introduced for the significant improvement of mapping projects. Through an innovative Approach, the radar data complement and enhance the multispectral optical EO data analysis.

This results in higher accuracy and automation - delivering better quality at lower costs. The new approach has been developed and verified in the frame of a EEA funded Copernicus project, where the grassland all over Europe (EEA39, around 6’000’000 km²) is mapped.

The prize has been awarded on November 2nd in the category "Radical Innovation" in the frame of a ceremony at Telespazio Headquarters in Rome.

GAF AG will attend the UN Climate Change Conference 2017 in Bonn, Germany from 7-17 November 2017.

The progress of GAF’s developments for satellite based monitoring of tropical humid and dry forest ecosystems is presented by counterparts from Malawi and Cameroon during an EU/ESA Side Event in the EU Pavilion on 9 November 2017 at 18hrs

Side Event title: Progress in monitoring forest degradation and independent observations from the Sentinels for REDD+ activities.

For more Information please visit www.unfccc.int

The European Copernicus Emergency Management Service Rapid Mapping has been triggered by several national civil protection agencies in order to provide pre- and post-disaster geoinformation for supporting first response actions.

Due to the heavy impact and destructive forces of Hurricane Irma in the West Indies, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) Rapid Mapping was activated by the French Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile de la Gestion des Crises on 5 September and by the Director General ECHO of the European Commission on 6 September, in order to provide rapid response and support for the disaster management activities being provided in the affected regions.

As every year, the GAF booth (hall 3.1, B3.030) will form a central point of interest for satellite data, geo-information and associated services.

Together with our partners European Space Imaging, Planet and Verband Runder Tisch GIS (RTG - GIS Round Table Association), we are there to present you latest developments.

Main focus will be our Copernicus- and Service-on-Demand services, paradigm shifts and future developments in Earth Observation, 3D and Virtual Reality.
With a personal live-presentation, you can experience, what virtual reality means in GIS!