Knowledge transfer is an essential component of AMESD. The use of Earth Observation technologies is new to many, and training sessions are necessary on a wide variety of technical subjects.

At continental level, trainings have been organised for the maintenance and operation of PUMA-2010 and AMESD stations, and on the mastering of the software associated to these stations (Synergie for PUMA-2010 stations and eStation for AMESD stations). This was a prerequisite for the understanding and knowledge of the AMESD products and services and a condition to deliver environmental monitoring information for each thematic area.   This includes a range of information responding to citizens’ needs such as monitoring the water level and flow rate of key rivers used for commercial transport; water cycle information to help agriculture (best planting time, improved crop yields, etc.); monitoring of the changing condition of rangelands for livestock management purposes; tracking the degradation of land; monitoring of marine pollution, fisheries resources and coastal erosion, and others.

The approach was to gather at the continental level, coordinated by AMESD Headquarters in the African Union Commission, the aforementioned training sessions, on techniques and the use of the stations, for all THEMAs, and at the regional level, coordinated by the Regional Implementation Centres, training sessions on the use of AMESD products and services and specific application for each THEMA (see Figure 1).

The organisation of continental training has been based on training of trainer principles, with training of trainer sessions organised in Europe, and the bulk of training sessions organised in Africa with African trainers. It has been based also on cost-sharing principles: the largest funding source was that of the AMESD project, but there were also substantial parts of the funding that were assured by EUMETSAT and EC-Joint Research Center. The organisation relied strongly on existing African Meteorological Training Centres, EAMAC (l’Ecole Africaine de la Météorologie et de l’Aviation Civile) in Niamey, KMD/IMTR (Kenya Meteorological Department) in Nairobi, CRFM (Centre de Recherche et de Formation Météorologique) in Vacoas and SAWS (South African Weather Service) in Pretoria. A specific monitoring and evaluation tool (Open Source Moodle Software) has been put in place. The training database include information such as detailed participant lists, invitation records, evaluation sheets, course syllabus, training reports, etc) that is accessible online designed to be usable for follow-up projects also beyond AMESD.

The continental part of the AMESD training is now completed. The implementation timeframe is summarized in Figure 2. Altogether 303 people were trained in the continental training programme, including 39 persons that qualified as trainers. The evaluation procedures that were followed showed an overall positive feedback from the organizers and from the trainees; the feedback permitted in some cases to improve the organization. The trainers are now performing AMESD training sessions at regional level so that they apply on the ground the knowledge they have acquired with continental trainings.

The continental training plan has been an ambitious undertaking. A key to success has been the close cooperation between the actors involved: AMESD Technical Assistance, EUMETSAT, JRC, ITC (International Training Centre), African Meteorological Training Centres, and RICs. The regional training plan, presently being developed in the RICs, is even more ambitious, with a target of 1050 people trained at the end of the programme (mid-2013), including an overall figure of 33 persons qualified as trainers. Linked with the trainings and in support to integrating AMESD products and services into decision-making processes, a series of sensitization and awareness workshops for about thousand policy makers, are planned to be completed by the end of the programme. The workshops have the primary objective to mainstream AMESD services and products for policy making and economic planning.