Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development - RCMRD

27/10/2026

Fall Armyworm, Aphids and Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) pose risks to maize production, making it important to understand their presence, severity and distribution in farmers’ fields.

In Nyeri County, RCMRD, LocateIT Limited and Tech are working with farmers and county agricultural officers to assess these threats, document crop types and growth stages, and gather local knowledge on past outbreaks and pest and disease management practices.

The aim is to validate risk maps against actual field conditions, improve the relevance of model predictions shared with farmers, and work with county stakeholders to establish locally relevant risk thresholds and management advice
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Waswa Rose Malot Vivianne Meta

26/10/2026

🌊 From Data to Decisions: Strengthening Africa’s Ocean and Seascape Management

How can existing environmental, scientific and geospatial data better inform decisions for ocean and seascape management?

Today at , RCMRD’s Regional Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity, Forests and Seascape Ecosystems Management in Eastern and Southern Africa (Regional Centre of Excellence (Regional Centre of Excellence - RCoE) in collaboration with Landscape Alliance CIFOR & ICRAF will explore how stronger data governance, institutional collaboration and information-sharing systems can turn fragmented data into actionable knowledge.

Drawing on experiences from Comoros, the session will highlight practical approaches to integrating information, strengthening national data-sharing frameworks and supporting evidence-based management of protected and conserved areas.

📍 Ocean Pavilion, Yerevan, Armenia
📅 26 October 2026 | 10:30–11:45 AM (Armenia time)

ASSESS → GOVERN → INTEGRATE → APPLY

Better data governance. Stronger knowledge systems. More informed decisions for Africa’s oceans and seascapes.

| United Nations Biodiversity | Armenia ^AS

22/10/2026

Field Validation in Kakamega County!

We are in Kakamega County conducting field validation to assess the risks posed by three major threats to maize production: Fall Armyworm, Aphids, and Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN).

Our field activity focuses on three key areas:

🖊️ Assessing the presence and severity of pests and diseases in farmers’ fields.
🖊️ Documenting the crops planted and their growth stages to validate the crop data used in our risk models.
🖊️ Gathering local knowledge on past outbreaks, their impacts, risk classifications, and practical pest and disease management recommendations.
This collaborative initiative brings together LocateIT Limited , Tetra Tech ARD, and RCMRD, working with farmers and county agricultural officers to strengthen evidence-based agricultural decision-making and improve maize pest and disease risk management.

22/10/2026

21/10/2026

📣 Join us!

Wednesday, 22 October, at 10:30 GMT+4, for a discussion on how Africa’s Regional Centres of Excellence ((RCoE) are helping countries put biodiversity commitments into practice.

Hear about experiences across Africa and the data, partnerships and financing needed to strengthen regional support for biodiversity action.

Landscape Alliance, Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development - RCMRD, Centre de Suivi Ecologique and Comifac - Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale will discuss what is working, where gaps remain and what is needed.

Join us at , the Vayk Room , Blue Zone, or join the conversation online.

Register here ➡️ : https://bit.ly/4dIFaRC

EU International Partnerships|

21/10/2026

📍 RCMRD in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 🇪🇹
How do governments decide where to build roads, register land and plan censuses? It starts with reliable geospatial information. 🌍

This week, RCMRD joins regional stakeholders at the 12th Meeting of the UN Regional Committee on Geospatial Information Management for Africa, convened by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, under the theme “Seeing Africa Clearly.”

Key priorities include:

🗺️ Financing national geospatial information systems
🏞️ Modernising land administration
📍 Advancing a common African geodetic reference frame
📊 Integrating geospatial and statistical data for censuses and SDG monitoring

^GM

17/10/2026

Meet the RCMRD Team at !

From 19–30 October 2026, RCMRD will engage with governments and partners in Yerevan to advance biodiversity action across Eastern and Southern Africa, championing science, reliable data and geospatial intelligence to accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework ( ).

Our focus includes ( #30×30), biodiversity monitoring, inclusive conservation, ocean and seascape data governance, and regional technical cooperation.

📅 Explore our events: https://bit.ly/4ATYIw1

Regional Centre of Excellence - RCoE | United Nations Biodiversity | Armenia | ^AS

16/10/2026

Nearly 90% of countries have set biodiversity targets, according to State of Biodiversity Action ( ) report released by United Nations Biodiversity. Now implementation must speed up.

In this video, we unpack the 23 global targets and explore what they mean for conservation on the ground, including progress, implementation challenges and opportunities for Eastern and Southern Africa.

🎥 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/9QFXqUicasg

Regional Centre of Excellence - RCoE | ^AS

Nearly 90% of countries have set biodiversity targets, according to...

15/10/2026

🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Are you a Formula 1 fan? 🏎️ Here’s some exciting news from the Land of a Thousand Hills, Rwanda! 🇷🇼

After more than three decades, Formula 1 is set to return to Africa, with Rwanda poised to host the African Grand Prix in the early 2030s under a landmark 10-year agreement.

At RCMRD, we’re delighted to see one of our Member States at the centre of this historic moment, bringing our region into the global motorsport spotlight.

🛰️ Using high-resolution satellite imagery from Vantor, we take a closer look at Bugesera, the proposed location for the circuit, revealing the landscape that could soon become a global motorsport destination.

With a lake and two hills shaping the surrounding terrain, the imagery offers a unique perspective on the proposed site and its potential as a spectacular setting for drivers and spectators alike.

Beyond the excitement of the race, this is a glimpse of how satellite imagery can bring places into focus and tell compelling stories about our region.

📍 Bugesera, Rwanda. Can you spot the proposed circuit in the satellite image? 🏁

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) | F1 | Vantor
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13/10/2026

Field data collection is underway in Kajiado and Meru Counties as part of the Earth Observation for Irrigation Mapping (IrrEO) Project.

The project combines Earth Observation (EO), satellite imagery, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and field observations to develop accurate, high-resolution irrigation maps for Kenya. By focusing on community irrigation schemes, the ongoing fieldwork will generate ground-reference data to support the development and validation of irrigation mapping tools.

Why does this matter? Reliable irrigation data can support better agricultural planning more efficient water resource management, food security and climate-resilient livelihoods.

This is the first round of field data collection, covering eight counties across Kenya, and marks an important step towards improving irrigation mapping through geospatial technology and on-the-ground evidence.

The IrrEO Project is implemented in collaboration with The University of Manchester and RCMRD, with funding from the Foundation.


^AS