Table of Contents

Satellites

TIGER Initiative

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the TIGER Initiative in response to resolutions adopted at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. It will use space technology to improve our knowledge of the water cycle and develop sustainable Earth observation services for integrated water resource management in Africa.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is a partner in this initiative.

• Canadian Objectives
• Canadian Strategy
• TIGER Projects
• TIGER Steering Committee
• TIGER-Related Events
• RADARSAT-1 Africa Mosaic and Archives
• Documents Available
• Contact

Canadian Objectives

TIGER provides an opportunity to demonstrate how space technology supports sustainable development. It will allow CSA to demonstrate how space provides benefits for people and how Canada is using its space assets to support initiatives with developing nations.

1. Support the use of Earth observation space technologies for water resource management in Africa
   
   
2. Improve the ability of African stakeholders to manage the use, quality and distribution of water, as well as limit its consumption, with the support of tools and information derived  from Earth observation data
   
   
3. Facilitate access to water resource information for better decision-making

Canadian Strategy

Canada confirms its willingness to collaborate with African stakeholders, the European Space Agency (ESA), and other members of the Committee on Earth Observation (CEOS) to successfully meet the TIGER objectives.

The TIGER initiative is a political and institutional platform for promoting space technology and demonstrating its usefulness in the study of water. In this context, the main objective of the Canadian Space Agency is to leverage Canada's Earth-observation expertise and know-how to promote cooperation and sustainable resource development and facilitate access to related business opportunities offered by donor agencies.

The strategy takes into account the needs of the Canadian geomatics community (industry, universities, Canadian government departments and NGOs) with respect to gain access to aid and cooperation programs in Africa.

The Canadian strategic approach is to

1. Support and encourage data sharing and the use of CEOS resources;
2. Use CSA programs to encourage the participation of African end-users in the pursuit of TIGER Initiative objectives;
3. Facilitate sustainable support of Earth observation African water management operation.

TIGER Projects

In summer 2004, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) issued a request for proposals (RFP), as part of its Earth Observation Application Development Program (EOADP), with a view to selecting Canadian companies working with African partners on projects that offer sustainable products and services to African agencies responsible for integrated water resource management.

A total of $3.4 million will be invested over a 30-month period to support the seven selected firms in the course of their respective projects.

• TIGER Project Sheets

TIGER Steering Committee

A committee was created to provide strategic direction and advice concerning the evolution and implementation of the TIGER initiative. The TIGER Steering Committee (TSC) includes the main contributors to the initiative, representatives of the end-users, key African organizations and other international agencies. CSA, as a co-founder of the TIGER initiative, has been a member of the TSC since its creation.

The responsibilities of the TSC include:

• Providing strategic direction and advice concerning long-term evolution and development of the initiative;
• Providing direction and advice concerning the practical implementation strategy and mechanisms of the initiative in the short-term;
• Coordinating the programmatic activities of its members approved by the TSC;
• Developing a common TIGER Implementation Plan, which sets the objectives and actions to be achieved and coordinates the contributions from all the TIGER partners;
• Providing guidance to donor organizations;
• Exchanging experience on best practices towards maximizing impact from the initiative.

TIGER-Related Events

Consult the list of TIGER-related European events (link to ESA site).

Here a list of Canada's activities in this project:

RADARSAT-1 Africa Mosaic and Archives

For about 10 years, Canada's RADARSAT-1 satellite has been acquiring sets of data on Africa, in the form of medium- to high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images.

The production of a large-scale continental mosaic is the culmination of a planned and concerted effort. While coverage of such a magnitude may not seem exceptional for a space satellite or optical remote sensing systems, these data provide unique perspectives on the continent, especially with respect to water resources.

The TIGER Initiative, which calls for wide-area environmental studies, detailed regional mapping of water resources as well as monitoring and management activities, has a wealth of information in these data, especially when they are combined with other observations.

To download an image of the mosaic of Africa, click on the image below and you will be redirected to the Canadian Space Agency image bank.

For further information, see articles on SAR data in the Documents Available section.

Documents Available

Reference documents on the TIGER Initiative:

Articles on SAR data for Africa

 

Presentations

 

Other Documents

 

Contact

Steve Iris
Canadian Space Agency
Commercialization Office, TIGER Initiative
6767 Route de l'Aéroport
Saint-Hubert, Quebec  J3Y 8Y9

Tel.: 450-926-4439
Email: tiger@asc-csa.gc.ca