Portugal's Geographic Obligations in Africa
The Hydrographic Institute of Portugal (IHPT) is making strides in improving hydrographic surveys and nautical cartography across Portuguese-speaking African countries through the MAR ABERTO Initiative. This ambitious project aims to enhance maritime safety, navigational infrastructure, and marine data sharing in the region, ultimately supporting better management of marine resources and ocean governance.
Launched in 2016, MAR ABERTO has led to significant progress in capacity building and training, hydrographic surveys, and nautical cartography development. IHPT provides technical training and expertise to local hydrographic and maritime authorities, strengthening their ability to conduct precise hydrographic surveys and update nautical charts effectively.
In collaboration with regional partners, IHPT carries out modern hydrographic surveys using advanced technologies like multibeam sonar, improving seabed mapping accuracy. The Institute then develops and updates nautical charts tailored to local navigation needs, enhancing maritime safety in coastal and offshore waters of countries such as Angola, Mozambique, and others in Lusophone Africa.
MAR ABERTO also fosters cooperation among Portuguese-speaking African states, promoting harmonization of hydrographic standards and sharing of marine geospatial data to support sustainable marine activities. This regional cooperation is key to achieving the Initiative's goals and aligns with broader African ocean governance and blue economy objectives.
While direct updates on IHPT’s MAR ABERTO activities may not be extensively covered in recent mainstream reports, the initiative is recognized within European and African maritime cooperation frameworks as a pivotal program enhancing hydrographic capabilities and maritime safety in these countries. These efforts align with the African Day of the Seas and Oceans' goals celebrated in recent events.
IHPT is not only involved in the MAR ABERTO Initiative but also engages in several Research and Development (R&D) projects that contribute to climate change analysis and the development of the blue economy. The diversity of vessels used in IHPT's campaigns requires a high adaptive capacity from IHPT teams, further demonstrating their commitment to the cause.
Moreover, these missions aid in the implementation of the EU Maritime Security Strategy and strengthen European participation in the region's stabilization efforts. IHPT is committed to open data policies and sharing its capabilities with society for shorter R&D cycles and faster elicitation of ocean knowledge.
IHPT, established in 1960, is a Portuguese organization that serves as both a part of the Portuguese Navy and a national marine research laboratory. Its primary focus is on ocean observation, mapping its various scientific dimensions, and predicting its behavior in the short, medium, and long term. The logistics of planning and executing hydrographic surveys in Africa is a significant challenge, but IHPT's high adaptive capacity ensures that the Initiative continues to make progress.
In summary, through MAR ABERTO, IHPT has achieved significant progress in transferring knowledge, conducting precise surveys, and improving navigational charting in Portuguese-speaking African countries, thereby contributing to safer and better-managed maritime environments in the region.
- The Hydrographic Institute of Portugal (IHPT) is dedicated to enhancing marine science, focusing on ocean observation, mapping, and predicting its behavior through the MAR ABERTO Initiative.
- The MAR ABERTO Initiative has resulted in advancements in hydrographic surveys and nautical charting, using technology such as multibeam sonar, to improve seabed mapping accuracy and promote maritime safety.
- IHPT's work on the MAR ABERTO Initiative aligns with broader objectives of African ocean governance and the blue economy, including climate-change analysis and the sustainable management of marine resources.
- IHPT also engages in data-and-cloud-computing and environmental-science research to support the development of the blue economy and continues to make progress despite the logistical challenges of planning and executing hydrographic surveys in Africa.
