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General news | Wed, 03/05/2025 - 12:00

Introducing the project OPERA - Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa

We are excited to introduce the project OPERA - “Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa”, designed to strengthen African Ocean prediction capabilities and cooperation at national, regional, pan-African levels. OPERA will develop fit-for-purpose tools, applications, and services essential for the sustainable management of ocean resources, disaster risk reduction, and growth of sustainable blue economies.   

Funded by the European Union, OPERA is the ocean-focused component of the African Regional Centres of Excellence for the Green Transition (ArcX) programme. This overarching programme is dedicated to strengthening Digital and Science, Technology, and Innovation capacities in Sub-Saharan Africa, fostering scientific knowledge and innovation-driven sustainable development. Mercator Ocean International, through its coordinating role in the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Center, has been entrusted with implementing OPERA over the course of four years, from January 2025 to December 2028. 

Within this context, OPERA aligns with key priorities outlined in both African and European strategic frameworks, including African Union’s Blue Economy Strategy, the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap (developed as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development), Sustainable Development Goal 14, the European Ocean Pact and Global Gateway Strategy.  

What is OPERA all about?  

With the overall goal to strengthen capabilities and cooperation in ocean forecasting in Africa, the project serves to 

  • establish a coordinated and dynamic community of ocean forecasting in Africa linked to the global ocean forecasting community for sharing of information, capacities, innovations, and opportunities 

  • carry out capacity development and technology sharing activities targeting a broad range of stakeholders in Africa to access, use, and tailor existing ocean forecasting services and tools. 

  • establish three consortia of up to five African partners each to co-design, co-develop, and deliver fit-for-purpose and coordinated Ocean forecasting systems, services and applications to meet African needs. One consortium will focus on developing regional and coastal ocean forecasting systems, and the two remaining consortia will focus on developing applications integrating ocean forecasting.    

  • strengthen uptake and use of the action’s deliverables through stakeholder engagement activities, development of knowledge tools, and outreach activities, targeting African policy- and decision makers.  

  • create a roadmap to establish the foundation and build the “forecasting component” of the Africa Ocean Knowledge Hub outlined in the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap 

OPERA will build on and complement existing regional mandates and networks covered by other programmes such as the GMES and Africa programme, and will work closely with regional bodies including IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States, the African Ocean Decade Taskforce, the Ocean Prediction DCC’s African regional team, UNEP African Sea Conventions, among other key partners to guide the project’s activities and ensure its uptake and sustainability.  

Timeline 

The first year of the project (2025) will be dedicated to laying the foundation for the project, building the consortia through a series of competitive calls, launching the capacity development and technology assistance activities.  

A first in-person workshop is planned in April to start the mapping of ocean forecasting activities in Africa and identify priorities and needs. In May 2025, a public information session will be held online to present the project to the community and the different calls to be launched. 

An official OPERA kick-off event will take place on 10 June at the EU Digital Ocean Pavillion during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice. More information coming soon. 

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