The module is designed for the next generation of African conservation managers. It provides both theoretical foundations and practical skills in the analysis and application of satellite data for the protection and sustainable use of ecosystems. One area of application, for example, is the management of wetlands—these are hotspots for global biodiversity while also making crucial contributions to water supply, food security, and climate change adaptation for local people. The module was specifically tailored to the needs of the African project partners, but much of the content and exercises are also applicable to other regions of the world.

The module was developed as part of the “EOCap4Africa” project, which was supported by BfN with funds from BMUKN. The project was implemented by the Earth Observation research Cluster at the University of Würzburg, in close cooperation with four African partner institutions: the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Institute for Applied Research (INES) Ruhengeri in Rwanda, and the Okavango Research Institute in Botswana. Faculty members from the four African partner institutions have actively contributed to the development of the teaching materials in recent years, tested the module on site at their local universities, and refined it together with the Würzburg project team. The now finalized module has been incorporated into the curricula of various master’s programs at their universities.

All teaching materials have also been published online to make them accessible to an even larger user group. The flexible, modular structure allows users to select the lectures and exercises that best suit their needs based on local context, technical capabilities, and prior knowledge. The module is freely available for download on the EOCap4Africa project website.