Thursday, 13 November 2014 08:10

Objectives

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 OSFAC’s primary objective is to establish itself as an independent organization dedicated to using satellite data to detect and manage environmental change in the Congo Basin. It aims to contribute to COMIFAC’s Convergence Plan by producing reliable and useful land cover products for managers and decision-makers.

In order to achieve this objective and assure the application of its products, OSFAC is also committed to using its regional network to improve data availability and build capacity to use satellite data and related products across Central Africa.

 

 

Thursday, 13 November 2014 08:04

Background

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 OSFAC was started following a 2000 meeting in Libreville that brought together representatives of forestry and mapping agencies from across Central Africa. At the meeting, participants recognized the important role satellite data and products play in the efficient management of natural resources, but acknowledged there were many constraints to using satellite data in the Congo Basin. Participants proposed creating OSFAC as a regional forum to address these obstacles, which included: difficulties associated with data acquisition, a lack of permanent training institutions and limited capacity to apply satellite information. Download OSFAC report (PDF, 608 KB)

OSFAC was launched as the GOFC-GOLD network for Central Africa under the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS). Its primary objective is to support the management of natural resources and promote sustainable development by producing reliable land cover products, distributing satellite data, building capacity and providing technical assistance to implementing partners.
OSFAC operates out of a head office in Kinshasa and maintains a GIS/RS lab within the School of Agronomy at the University of Kinshasa. It works in close partnership with academic and research institutions in the region, as well as, international academic and research institutions such as: the University of Maryland, South Dakota State University, the Universite catholique de Louvain and the Joint Research Center.

OSFAC’s forest monitoring activities contribute to the objectives of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and multiple strategic areas within COMIFAC’s Convergence Plan. It receives support through USAID as part of the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) and is also an active collaborator of the FORAF/OFAC project to establish a regional observatory that will supply decision-makers and managers reliable information on environmental and socio-economic indicators and produce regular State of the Forest reports. Through its activities, OSFAC has collaborated with many national government agencies as well as non-governmental organizations and projects, including: FORAF, WRI, ERAIFT, UN/OCHA, IUCN, WWF, WCS, CI, AWF, UNICEF, UNESCO, MAFA, and Nature+.

Since it was legally established as a Congolese NGO in 2005, OSFAC has grown and established itself as a local organization dedicated to raising awareness about satellite data and their potential applications. It serves as Central Africa’s only satellite data clearing house and as part of its partnership with CARPE, OSFAC works with regional and international academic and research institutions to produce reliable land cover products. It is committed to building regional capacity in GIS and remote sensing and offers a series of technical trainings through its lab at the University of Kinshasa and ex situ at sites across the Basin. To date OSFAC has trained over 500 individuals from over 30 different agencies in Central Africa. In addition, OSFAC has worked with a wide variety of implementing partners on mapping projects that support sustainable natural resource management and/or sustainable development.

Thursday, 13 November 2014 07:57

Job Opportunities

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Thank you for your interest in OSFAC. OSFAC is a Non-governmental organization, and we are proud of the opportunities we provide our researchers and staff.
We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to promoting a diverse workplace.

There are no job opportunities at this time.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 09:16

Partners

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AWF

African Wildlife Foundation
In 1961, African Wildlife Leadership Foundation, Inc., later ...

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CAMI

Cadastre Minier
Le Code Minier prévoit la mise à disposition du public et des ...

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CARPE

Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment is currently in the second of three proposed phases ...

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CI

Cellule Infrastructure
CI est un organe technique du Ministère des Infrastructures ...

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ERAIFT

Eraift a mis en place un réseau pour le personnel et un sous réseaux pour les ressources destinés aux étudiants ...

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EU

European Union
The EU was not always as big as it is today ...

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GOFC-GOLD

Global Observation for Forest Cover and Land Dynamics (GOFC/GOLD) is a coordinated international ...

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ICCN

Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation is the semi-government authority in charge of the ...

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IGC

Institut Géographique du Congo
Agence de cartographie et d'information géographique ...

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JRC

Joint Research Centre
The JRC is the European Commission's in-house science ...

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MECNET

Ministère de l'Environnement, Conservation de la Nature et Tourisme ...

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NASA

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space ...

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OFAC

Observatoire des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale. L'objectif général de l'Observatoire s'inscrit dans ...

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RGC

Reférentiel Geographique Commun
L’absence ou le manque d’accessibilité de l’information ...

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SDSU

South Dakota State University
The land-grant heritage of South Dakota State University, which ...

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START

START was launched in 1992 under the aegis of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its four ...

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UCL

Université Catholique de Louvain
The University works hand in hand with the business world ...

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UICN

International Union for Conservation of Nature
UICN is the world’s oldest and ...

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UMD

University of Maryland
UMD experts are part of an international team of ...

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UNIKIN

University of Kinshasa
The history of the University of Kinshasa began in 1924 ...

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USAID

United States Agency for International Development is the lead U.S. Government agency ...

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WCS

Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society, founded in 1895, has the ...

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WRI

Worl Resources Institute
Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that ...

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WWF

World Wide Fund
It was the product of a deep concern held by a few eminent ...

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Thursday, 13 November 2014 10:25

About us

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 OSFAC was started following a 2000 meeting in Libreville that brought together representatives of forestry and mapping agencies from across Central Africa. At the meeting, participants recognized the important role satellite data and products play in the efficient management of natural resources, but acknowledged there were many constraints to using satellite data in the Congo Basin.

Participants proposed creating OSFAC as a regional forum to address these obstacles, which included: difficulties associated with data acquisition, a lack of permanent training institutions and limited capacity to apply satellite information. OSFAC was launched as the GOFC-GOLD network for Central Africa under the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS).

Its primary objective is to support the management of natural resources and promote sustainable development by producing reliable land cover products, distributing satellite data, building capacity and providing technical assistance to partners. Read more

For further information or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our Team

Dr. Landing Mané

Program Manager

Directeur de l’Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (OSFAC) depuis 2009. Il a 20 années d’expérience dans divers domaines, notamment, sciences du sol et agriculture, ...

André Mazinga

GIS and RS Officer

Ingénieur Agronome formé à l'Université de Kinshasa. En 2005, Il obtint son diplôme en agronomie dans la filière Gestion des Ressources Naturelles, option Faune et Flore ...

Eddy Bongwele

GIS and RS Senior Officer

Ingénieur Agronome spécialiste en Systèmes d'Information Géographique et télédétection appliquées en gestion des ressources naturelles. Il a travaillé avec OSFAC ...

Cédric Singa

GIS and RS Specialist

Ingénieur Agronome, filière Gestion des Ressources Naturelles à l'Université de Kinshasa en 2008. Il fréquente l'OSFAC depuis 2009 d'abord comme GIS Trainer puis GIS Consultant ..

Bob Boseko

DBA and Software Developer

Licencié en Génie Informatique de l'Universite de Kinshasa. Il est specialiste  en developpement des applications web, Desktop, et Mobile.  Il a intégré  OSFAC en 2011 ...

Serge Kalawu

GIS and RS Officer

Ingénieur en Sciences Agronomiques, spécialisé en Gestion des Ressources Naturelles, filière Faune et Flore a l'Université de Kinshasa. En 2010, il a travaillé avec l’Union Européenne ...

Hervé Kashongwe

Moabi Coordinator

Ingénieur Agronome et intègre OSFAC en février 2011 comme stagiaire professionnel puis comme Assistant SIG, une année après avoir obtenu son diplôme, avec une spécialisation ...

Nancy Kabuya

Administrative secretary and Cashier

Licenciée en Gestion Financière et Marketing de l'Université William Booth (Promotion 2008). Après l'obtention de son diplôme de licence, elle a travaillé comme stagiaire professionnel ...

Micheline Nanzigi

Accounant

Licenciée en sciences économiques et de gestion, option gestion financière de l'Université de Lubumbashi, Micheline KALUMUNA a également un diplôme de qualification en ...

Didier Kyony

Business Development Consultant

Ingénieur a l’Université du Witwatersrand à Johannesburg en 1999 et cela a été suivi par un parcours professionnel de 15 ans en Afrique du Sud. Il a accumulé plus de dix ans d’expertise ...

Guy-Robert Kayembe

Logistician and Driver

Diplôme de graduat en Radionavigation (aviation civile) de l'Institut Supérieur des Techniques Appliquées (ISTA) depuis 2006. Pendant une année, il a occupé le poste de Chef de dépôt ...

Eric Lutété

GIS and RS Trainer

Ingénieur Agronome de formation, spécialiste en Gestion des Ressources Naturelles (Faune et Flore) de l’Université de Kinshasa depuis 2009, Eric LUTETE intègre l'OSFAC en 2011 ...

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