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| Marie Makuate (image via HOT) |
Bio
Marie Makuate is a geomatics researcher pursuing a PhD. Her research focuses on using geographic information science and computer science to environmental management. Her organization, Kids and Girls in Geospatial, was founded with the goal of empowering girls and children all around the world to advance the geospatial domain. She has a strong interest in geo-artificial intelligence, disaster relief, climate change, and spatial analysis. She can combine practical knowledge and abilities with remote sensing and GIS to solve environmental problems. She is a supporter of sustainable development and hopes to engage the next generation in geospatial sciences and technology to help strengthen poor nations' capacities.
Marie Makuate's Work & Initiatives
Cameroonian scientist Marie Makuate has been instrumental in using satellite data to aid in emergency situations, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in central Morocco. As a geospatial expert for the NGO Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, she creates maps to assist emergency services in navigating unpredictable territory, providing potentially life-saving information.
Makuate's work is motivated by the need to map infrastructure and provide information to help save lives during disasters. However, the costs associated with launching and maintaining a satellite in orbit can be expensive, especially when they are required at short notice, as in natural disasters. Some satellite companies offer free imaging for disaster relief purposes, but their assistance is often limited in scope and time.
Makuate believes that more African countries should send their own satellites into space and make their output more freely available. Satellite imagery can also be used to boost agriculture, analyze population changes, and understand natural resources such as water. If a country has its own satellite, it doesn't have to pay for the images, which can cost up to $25 per square kilometre.
Makuate has been advocating for more pan-African collaboration in front of industry specialists at the NewSpace Africa Conference in Angola's capital, Luanda. The African space sector is expected to be worth more than $20bn by 2026, but the majority of this money comes from outside the continent through companies selling services to Africans. Dr. Zolana João, the general manager of the Angolan National Space Programme, believes that greater investment within the continent will better serve African governments, which are often hampered by a lack of reliable data.
South Africa and Egypt are the African countries with the highest number of satellites in orbit, with 13 each, according to consultancy firm Spacehubs Africa. Investment in telecommunication satellites reflects the country's position as a media powerhouse across the Arabic-speaking region.
Access to education is the most fundamental obstacle in Africa's space ambition. Ms. Makuate, who took a master's degree in geomatics from the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology in 2019, believes that investing in African companies will better serve African governments. She founded Geospatial Girls and Kids, an association that offers free professional training in geospatial science to young women in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Three of Ms. Makuate's students are now employed as geospatial analysts and data collectors. She believes that creating the next generation of experts who can analyze satellite imagery will benefit everyone on the continent and align with her personal mission of impacting people's lives.
