Presentation Information
[Z-NE6gfo-01]OPERA Project: Developing an African Digital Twin Ocean for Integrated Ocean Knowledge, improved monitoring and decision support
*Lillian Diarra1 (1. Mercator Ocean International (France))
African oceans and coasts are facing increasing pressures from climate change, illegal fishing, pollution, biodiversity loss, and rapid urbanisation. At the same time, advances in Earth observation, ocean modelling, artificial intelligence and cloud computing are transforming our ability to monitor, predict, and manage marine environments. These emerging technologies provide a unique opportunity to address Africa's growing need for accessible, integrated ocean information services tailored to regional priorities and at the same time contribute to global ocean knowledge.
Responding to this opportunity, the European-funded project - Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa (OPERA) is developing an African Digital Twin Ocean (African DTO), aligned with Priority 7 of the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap (Digital Twin for Africa/ Knowledge Hub). Implemented by Mercator Ocean International through its coordinating role of the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre, OPERA will establish African Regional Centres of Excellence for digital ocean services, fostering collaboration between African and European partners.
Building on the technologies developed through the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO), the African DTO will provide an integrated digital ocean service platform. It will bring together and provide access to data from the ocean forecasting systems developed within OPERA, Copernicus Marine global products, additional local datasets as well as applications. By doing so, it will deliver interoperable ocean information services and decision-support tools for key areas such as disaster risk reduction, coastal resilience, and the sustainable blue economy. Through visual and customised interfaces, the African DTO will improve access and uptake of ocean knowledge for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, the private sector and coastal communities.
By delivering a prototype African DTO, OPERA will lay the groundwork for a scalable continental platform that can integrate future DTO initiatives, promote interoperability and innovation, and empower African stakeholders with digital tools and services to advance climate resilience and sustainable development.
Responding to this opportunity, the European-funded project - Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa (OPERA) is developing an African Digital Twin Ocean (African DTO), aligned with Priority 7 of the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap (Digital Twin for Africa/ Knowledge Hub). Implemented by Mercator Ocean International through its coordinating role of the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre, OPERA will establish African Regional Centres of Excellence for digital ocean services, fostering collaboration between African and European partners.
Building on the technologies developed through the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO), the African DTO will provide an integrated digital ocean service platform. It will bring together and provide access to data from the ocean forecasting systems developed within OPERA, Copernicus Marine global products, additional local datasets as well as applications. By doing so, it will deliver interoperable ocean information services and decision-support tools for key areas such as disaster risk reduction, coastal resilience, and the sustainable blue economy. Through visual and customised interfaces, the African DTO will improve access and uptake of ocean knowledge for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, the private sector and coastal communities.
By delivering a prototype African DTO, OPERA will lay the groundwork for a scalable continental platform that can integrate future DTO initiatives, promote interoperability and innovation, and empower African stakeholders with digital tools and services to advance climate resilience and sustainable development.
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