Progress Report on African Reference Frame AFREF, 20032005

1
Progress Report on African Reference Frame
(AFREF), 2003-2005

• By
• Dr. Wilber Ottichilo
• Director General, Regional Centre for Mapping of
  Resources for Development
• Nairobi, Kenya

2
Introduction

• Importance of African Reference Frame (AFREF)
• To have a Unified Geodetic Reference Frame for
  Africa as a Fundamental basis for National and
  Regional 3D Reference Networks Fully Consistent
  and Homogeneous with the International
  Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) Standards.
• AFREF will Consist of a Network of Continuous,
  Permanent GPS Stations such that a User Anywhere
  in Africa would have Free Access to such
  Stations.
• Its Full Implementation will Include a Unified
  Vertical Datum and Support for Efforts to
  Establish a Precise African Geoid.
• AFREF on its Realisation Shall Therefore be a
  Modern and a Common Reference Frame for African
  Continent based on Global Navigation Satellite
  System (GNSS) Technology and Consistence with
  ITRF and IGS Standard

3
Introduction Cont..

• Windhoek Declaration
• The Declaration was formulated during the
  Governing Council meeting of RCMRD which was held
  in Windhoek in December 2002.
• The Declaration Urges African Countries to fully
  Participate in the AFREF initiative and
  Recommended UNECA to adopt and coordinate the
  initiative under CODI-GEO.
• Adoption of the Declaration
• The UNECA Committee on Development Information
  (CODI) has Adopted the Windhoek Declaration and
  the AFREF project as a priority project and has
  created a Working Group within one of its
  sub-committees namely CODI-Geo to deal
  specifically with the project in 2004.
• The International Association of Geodesy (IAG)
  has also formally adopted AFREF as a project
  within its structures with the formation of
  Sub-Commission 1.3d (Africa) within its
  Commission 1 (Reference Frames).
• The International GPS Service (IGS) and the
  International Earth Rotation and Reference
  Service (IERS), have both committed their support
  to AFREF.

4
Progress

• AFREF Workshop held at RCMRD During the 5th
  African Association of Remote Sensing and
  Environment (AARSE) Conference
• The main Purpose of the workshop was
• to receive reports from regional African centres
  and national mapping organisations within Africa
  and international organisations that are
  currently involved with AFREF activities and
• to set out a way forward
• Approximately 35 Delegates (mainly from National
  Mapping Agencies) Attended the Workshop.

5
Progress Cont

• Outcome of the Meeting
• Formulation of TOR for AFREF Executive Steering
  Committee
• Formulation of Organisational Structure for
  Implementation of AFREF
• Formulation of TOR for Regional Centres

6
CODI-Geo AFREF WG Steering Committee Wilber
Ottichilo Dir RCMRD (co-chair) Mufta Unis Sec
Gen OACTS (co-chair) Richard Wonnacott Chair
IAG SC 1.3d (Africa) Jide Kufoniyi Dir
RECTAS CAFREF Congo Brazaville EAFREF - L
Mollel (Tanzania) NAFREF - Tunisia SAFREF - K
Owalabi (Namibia) WAFREF Nigeria HartRAO L
Combrinck
Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
(Proposed During Cairo Meeting)
7
Preparation of Call for Participation Paper

• Aim of the Paper
• To Call for Partners to Participate in the
  Project
• The Draft Paper was Prepared by the Regional
  Centre for mapping of Resources for Development
  (RCMRD) and Discussed further at FIG/GSDI
  Conference held in Cairo in April 2005
• The Draft Paper was Further Discussed and
  Modified During the Cairo Meeting
• The Paper is being Finalized and when Ready will
  be submitted to UNECA for Official Mailing to
  Countries and Partners

8
AFREF Meetings at Cairo FIG/GSDI Conference

• Steering Committee Meeting
• To Discuss and Arrange a Meeting with Various
  International Partners who were Attending the
  Conference
• To Discuss and Finalize the call for
  Participation Paper
• To Discuss and Agree the Convening of Technical
  Workshop in Cape Town in January 2006

9
Meeting with Prospective International Partners

• During the Meeting Brief Presentation was Given
  on AFREF
• Proposed Implementation Mechanism
• Request for Support and Participation by
  International Collaborators
• Proposed AFREF Technical Meeting in Cape Town
  South Africa in January 2006
• Reactions by International Partners
• Overall the International Partners Pledged to
  Support the Project

10
The Way Forward

• Finalization of call for participation Paper by
  May 2005
• Mailing of the Paper of the Paper to Countries
  and Partners by UNECA by June 2005
• Creation and Hosting of AFREF Website by UNECA by
  end of May 2005
• Conduct Survey of GPS Geodetic NETWORK in Africa
  before Cape Town Workshop
• Convening of Technical Workshop in Cape Town in
  January 2006 (Meeting to be Organized by
  Executive Steering Committee, IAG) and funded by
  UNOOSA.

11

• Thank You