National Geographic Institute and Enabel cooperate to protect the environment

Brussels, 15 January 2025 – Enabel and Belgium’s National Geographic Institute (NGI) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening the management of natural resources and the preservation of biodiversity in the African Great Lakes region. 

The NGI’s main mission is to produce and update topographic and geographical reference data for the Belgian territory in the form of digital geodata, maps and aerial and ortho photos. The Institute is recognised for its work in Belgium and internationally. It provides geodetic, cartography and geographic analysis services and develops digital tools to meet challenges in diverse areas such as the environment, security, mobility and climate change.

A strategic collaboration for sustainable solutions

This partnership is part of the Tanganyika Kivu Water Management (TAKIWAMA) project, a regional initiative funded by the European Union and supported by Enabel to improve water and resource management in Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kivu in Central Africa. In collaboration with the local authorities of the riparian countries (Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, Zambia and Rwanda), a cross-border monitoring system is monitoring water quality and analysing the impact of climate change and rising water levels on fish stocks.

Among the activities planned, the NGI will help to harmonise the various national geodetic networks for integrated regional management of water resources, analyse climatic and spatial data to study environmental impacts, particularly flooding and erosion, and disseminate geo-data via GIS web platforms to support political decision-making.

“The partnership with IGN embodies our vision of development based on reliable, shared data. By mobilising Belgian expertise in geodesy and cartography, we are responding to major environmental and social challenges, such as fluctuations in the water level of Lake Tanganyika and their impact on local populations. Together, we are laying the foundations for the sustainable management of natural resources.” says Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel.

Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Administrator General of Belgium’s National Geographic Institute, adds:

“Our collaboration with Enabel is fully in line with our mission to provide high-quality geographic data and services to meet global challenges. By working on the TAKIWAMA project, we share our expertise beyond our borders and help to build the capacity of local partners, particularly in the field of geodesy.”

This collaboration will promote exchanges between Belgium’s National Geographic Institute and its African counterparts, in view of creating a lasting geographic cooperation network.

Other avenues for strategic collaboration are also being explored, including the mapping of woodlands and protected marine areas as well as agricultural and aquaculture planning initiatives.