Africa: AU-EU Space Partnership Revolutionises Weather Systems to Save Lives

2 June 2026
African Union (Addis Ababa)

The African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with the European Union (EU), officially inaugurated the African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF) on 18 May 2026 at the AU Headquarters. This event marks a pivotal milestone in Africa's efforts to strengthen its capacity to predict and respond to climate induced hazards through space -based technology under the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (AESPP).

Message from H.E. Javier Niňo Pérez, European Union Ambassador to the African Union.

The launch of the African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF) marks a transformative step in our shared journey toward climate resilience and disaster preparedness. The European Union stands firmly alongside the African Union in harnessing the power of space-based technologies to save lives, protect livelihoods, and build a sustainable future for all Africans. Through the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme, we are not only investing in cutting-edge infrastructure like AMSAF but also in the people and institutions that will turn data into action--ensuring that no community is left behind in the face of climate hazards and reducing risk for millions. This partnership proves what can be achieved when we align innovation, long-standing collaboration, and shared purpose."

Message from H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission.

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"Outer space stands as one of humanity's most critical shared heritages, vital for realising our collective development aspirations. Although Africa currently possesses only a handful of satellites in orbit, the continent has among the world's highest demands for space-based products and services, which are indispensable to sectors, including agriculture and food security, health, disaster management, environment and natural resources, climate adaptation, marine governance, financial services, and conflict prevention, among others.

The enduring partnership between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) has been instrumental in empowering Africa to harness space-based technologies for the well-being of our people and the pursuit of sustainable development.

The Strengthening Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) project is a key initiatives under the AU-EU Partnership that enhances African capacities to produce and deliver space-based products, services, applications, and information to strengthen Africa's early warning systems related to hazardous weather and climate events."

After the ceremonial inauguration, the programme will continue with a series of technical session, stretching over four days(18-21 May), including a review of the governance framework of AMSAF, a key component for sustainability under the SEWA project and the overall implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather, Water and Climate Services). Through collaboration with EUMETSAT and ECMWF, and the regional leadership of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), SEWA aims to establish a robust and sustainable framework that will serve the continent for decades to come. AMSAF stands as a testament to what can be achieved when strategic continental policy, international partnership, and adoption of cutting-edge technology converge toward the shared goal of protecting lives and livelihoods.

The SEWA project forms part of the broader framework of the AU-EU Space Partnership Programme, and is being implemented under the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa. As a core component of the AESPP, SEWA is designed to bridge the critical gap between satellite data and life-saving actions. It empowers African regional institutions to generate their own meteorological products, ensuring that 'Nowcasting' (near real-time weather forecasting) becomes a standard operational tool for protecting vulnerable communities across Africa.

A New Era of Protecting Africans through weather and Climate Data

Hosted at the AU HQ, the AMSAF kick-off event highlights Africa's collective ambition to address the growing challenges posed by extreme weather and climate events. Many regions across the continent continue to face limitations in accessing localized and real-time weather analyses and forecasting information.

The initiative will enable African institutions to better utilize satellite-derived products capable of detecting rapidly developing storms, flash floods, and other severe weather events with high spatial and temporal resolution

Through the fusion of these advanced satellite products, African National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) will be further capacitated to implement Impact Based Forecasting (IBF). This approach moves beyond simply informing citizens about what the weather will be, toward providing actionable information on what the weather will do to homes, crops, and infrastructure and livelihoods if early preventive actions are not taken.

The operationalisation of AMSAF represents a significant milestone in the implementation of the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Water, Weather, and Climate Services) 2021 to 2030, including the United Nations' Early Warnings for All EW4A initiative, and strengthening of climate and meteorological institutions across Africa.

About the Strengthen for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) project

An AU-led initiative, the Strengthening Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) project, is a multi-partner initiative funded by the European Union. It supports Member States to enhance the capacities to produce and deliver space-based services, applications, data, and information, for early warning systems related to hazardous weather or climate events. SEWA, under the AU-EU Space Partnership Programme (AESPP), contributes to the building of African resilience through:

  • Data Access for near-real time warnings
  • AMSAF, for tailored Meteorology & Climates products and services
  • Impact based forecasting in co-production
  • Coordination and policy frameworks
  • Capacity Building

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