São Paulo – Tunisia intends to create its own space agency, according to the country’s minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Moncef Boukthir, at an event on the challenges and opportunities of space activities in Africa held this week in Tunis. The story was published in the national news agency, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP), this Thursday (25).
Minister Moncef Boukthir informed a project in the area is under assessment by specialized engineers. Boukthir said Tunisia has all the technical and scientific attributes to tackle the world of space technologies.
The Tunisian Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Néji, said it is necessary to develop an adequate legal and institutional framework to effectively manage and regulate the national space to attract investments in this field, which is considered promising.
He recalled space technology is beneficial for the development of accurate and up-to-date databases to allow adequate decisions in the area of natural resources, environmental protection, management, and monitoring of food security.
Néji said Africa faces urgent issues, such as climate change, water and energy shortages, environmental stress, and the food crisis, affecting society, business, and the continent at large. According to him, in the face of all these challenges, the availability of referenced, coherent, fluid, and timely information is essential for coordinated policy and strategy.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
