By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Angola has joined the
Space4Ocean Alliance, reinforcing its commitment to using space technologies to
support the monitoring, protection and sustainable management of marine and
coastal resources.
The Declaration of Intent
was signed on September 9, 2026, in Paris, France, by the Director General of
Angola’s National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN), Zolana João, on
behalf of the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social
Communication (MINTTICS).
The signing took place at
the Grand Palais in the presence of MINTTICS Minister Mário Oliveira, Angola’s
Ambassador to France Guilhermina Prata and United Nations Office for Outer
Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director-General Aarti Holla-Maini.
Angola’s participation in
the alliance is expected to strengthen the connection between the country’s
growing space capabilities and the needs of marine and coastal resource
management.
GGPEN already has experience
applying space technology to marine environmental monitoring through
Tech-Ecologia, an application that uses satellite imagery to detect and monitor
oil spills in Angolan waters.
The application helps
identify pollution sources and supports faster responses by relevant
authorities and is currently used by the National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and
Biofuels (ANPG).
GGPEN said the experience
gained through Tech-Ecologia represents a practical contribution to the
objectives of the Space4Ocean Alliance, particularly in monitoring and
responding to marine pollution.
The Space4Ocean Alliance was
officially launched during the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice,
France, in June 2025. The initiative seeks to strengthen collaboration between
the space and marine sectors by promoting the use of satellite data, Earth
observation, in-situ measurements and scientific models to address challenges
affecting the oceans.
For Angola, membership
provides opportunities to strengthen international cooperation and improve
access to knowledge, data, applications and space-based services that can
support decision-making in areas including coastal monitoring, identification
of pollution hotspots, monitoring of maritime activities, ecosystem protection
and sustainable management of marine resources.
The Declaration of Intent
also provides for capacity-building and training initiatives aimed at expanding
access to space technologies and data and strengthening the ability of users to
convert satellite-derived information into practical solutions.
