Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) Sahara and Sahel Observatory

What Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) Sahara and Sahel Observatory does

The Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) is a pan-African intergovernmental organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Tunis, Tunisia, supporting 26 African member states in the sustainable management of natural resources under climate stress. Its mandate is organized around four thematic axes (Biodiversity, Climate, Water, and Land) and operationalized through a portfolio of Earth Observation-based digital platforms: MISLAND Africa and MISLAND North Africa for land degradation monitoring and SDG 15.3.1 reporting, MISBAR for irrigation and groundwater abstraction monitoring, SAP-MR for multi-hazard early warning in the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) transboundary complex, Afrik-ENCA for ecosystem resilience and natural capital accounting, GuetCrop for crop monitoring and food security early warning, LDN-Africa and Portal LCD for land degradation neutrality reporting and good practices sharing, and FarmBot for AI-based crop disease detection.

OSS does not charge member states for its services. Its operating model is an intergovernmental delivery model: services are funded through member state contributions and project-based international climate finance. As an accredited entity to the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Loss and Damage Fund, OSS acts as a financial intermediary channeling grant resources to national governments, while also implementing technical projects with the European Commission (GMES & Africa), World Bank, UNDP, GIZ, AfDB, and others. Distribution is direct-to-government through ministerial relationships, regional economic communities, and transboundary ecosystem management bodies, with capacity building delivered through national and regional workshops.

Governance is exercised through a Board of Directors (most recent: 33rd session in Cairo, June 2026) and a Strategic Orientation Committee composed of independent scientists and donor representatives (GIZ, AfDB), with Nabil Ben Khatra serving as Executive Secretary since July 2022. The organization operates with a lean team of 63 staff and pursues continental positioning through COP engagements, Desertif'actions Summits, and election to coordination bodies such as AfrioCAT and RAOB.

Name

Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) Sahara and Sahel Observatory

Legal name

Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel

Website

https://oss-online.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) is a Tunis-based African intergovernmental organization founded in 1992, supporting 26 member states in sustainable natural resource management through Earth Observation-based monitoring platforms, climate finance intermediation, and technical capacity building across the Sahara-Sahel region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Monitoring Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Data Management Platforms (EHS/EMS, LIMS, ELN, Compliance Data Hubs) (EUAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Environmental monitoring services
• Climate finance mobilization
• Earth observation platforms
• Land degradation monitoring
• Capacity building programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunis

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Climate Finance and International Funding: OSS mobilizes climate financing from international mechanisms including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Loss and Damage Fund as an accredited entity. Revenue flows through project implementation agreements with member countries and international donors.
2. Technical Assistance and Capacity Building: OSS provides technical assistance, training, and capacity building services to African member countries for environmental monitoring, climate adaptation, and natural resource management.
3. Data and Monitoring Services: OSS develops and maintains digital platforms and geoportals that provide environmental data, monitoring information, and decision support tools to stakeholders across Africa.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OSS is an African intergovernmental organization that supports its 26 member countries in the sustainable management of natural resources through four thematic axes: Biodiversity, Climate, Water, and Land. It delivers technical assistance, capacity building, climate finance mobilization as an accredited entity of the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Loss and Damage Fund, and operates a portfolio of Earth Observation-based digital monitoring platforms including MISLAND, MISBAR, Afrik-ENCA, SAP-MR, and GuetCrop.

Product overview

OSS operates a unified environmental monitoring platform portfolio comprising multiple interconnected tools for Earth Observation, early warning, and natural resource management. The core products include MISLAND Africa and MISLAND North Africa for land degradation monitoring, MISBAR for irrigation and water abstraction monitoring, Afrik-ENCA for ecosystem resilience assessment, SAP-MR for multi-hazard early warning, GuetCrop for agricultural monitoring, and a Portal LCD for sharing best practices. These tools share common infrastructure (satellite imagery, spatial data analysis, Earth Observation technology) and serve complementary functions across OSS's four thematic axes: Biodiversity, Climate, Water, and Land. The platforms are developed under projects like GMES & Africa and are made accessible through web-based geoportals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MISLAND: Integrated land degradation monitoring system using Earth Observation data to deliver information and support land management decisions.
• MISBAR
• SAP-MR (WAP Complex MR-EWS)
• GuetCrop
• Afrik-ENCA
• LDN-Africa

Products and services

• FarmBot AI-based solution for crop disease detection and prediction in North Africa.
• MISLAND Africa Integrated land degradation monitoring system using Earth Observation data to deliver information and support decision-making for sustainable land management across Africa.
• MISLAND North Africa
• MISBAR
• Afrik-ENCA
• SAP-MR (WAP Complex Multi-Risk Early Warning System)
• GuetCrop
• Portal LCD (Good Practices Portal)

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports 26 African member countries in sustainable natural resource management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNCCD SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborates with the UNCCD Secretariat on reporting frameworks, land degradation neutrality, and the Desertif'actions Summit initiative.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS serves as a regional center of excellence for CBD implementation, supporting countries in Nagoya Protocol reporting and biodiversity conservation.
• African UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS participates in African Union initiatives related to environmental management, climate adaptation, and the Great Green Wall Initiative.
• CILSS (Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborates with CILSS on Sahelian environmental issues, early warning systems, and climate adaptation programs.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS partners with the World Bank on climate resilience projects and environmental monitoring initiatives in Africa.
• UNDPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborates with UNDP on climate adaptation projects and capacity building across African member countries.
• UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS works with UEMOA on regional environmental and climate initiatives in West Africa.
• AUDA-NEPADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS works with AUDA-NEPAD on continental initiatives including the Great Green Wall and biodiversity reporting. AUDA-NEPAD is a member of the AfrioCAT Regional Coordination Team.
• GIZmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ Program Manager Anneke Trux serves as Vice-President of OSS's Strategic Orientation Committee. OSS collaborates with GIZ on climate adaptation programs.
• African Development Bank (AfDB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborates with AfDB through its Climate Change and Green Growth Department, represented by Alhamandou DorSouma in the Strategic Orientation Committee.
• Clean Air Task Force (CATF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS partnered with CATF on methane emissions advocacy for African oil and gas sectors, with support from the Lemelson Foundation. Joint publication on methane regulation in North Africa.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborates with FAO on the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, nature-based solutions, and agricultural monitoring.
• ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS and ICARDA signed a cooperation agreement for arid zones in May 2026 to collaborate on dryland agriculture and sustainable resource management.
• CEDARE (Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS signed a framework cooperation agreement with CEDARE in October 2025 for environmental and water management collaboration.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS participates in IUCN World Conservation Congress and collaborates on biodiversity frameworks and conservation initiatives.
• WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS was elected to AfrioCAT Regional Coordination Team (WOCAT's African network) as a specialized technical agency. OSS contributes expertise in sustainable land management and good practices documentation.
• RCMRD (Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS partnered with RCMRD to deliver the UNCCD 2026 reporting workshop for 24 English-speaking African countries.
• European Commission / GMES & AfricamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS implements the GMES & Africa initiative with European Commission support for Earth observation services including MISBAR and MISLAND platforms.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS works with UNEP on the Senegal-Mauritania Aquifer System project funded by GEF, and transboundary water management.
• Conservation InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS collaborated with Conservation International for the UNCCD 2026 reporting workshop as part of a multi-partner initiative.
• Water and Land Resource Center (WLRC) EthiopiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWLRC Ethiopia was elected alongside OSS to the AfrioCAT Regional Coordination Team as a research institution, with OSS representing specialized technical agencies.
• International Network of Basin Organizations (RIOB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS, as RAOB President, participates in RIOB's World Basin Summit and the Peer-to-Peer program of the Twin Basin Initiative.
• UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) - Water ConventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS engaged with UNECE Water Convention secretariat during the World Basin Summit to explore collaboration between basin organizations.
• UNFCCC SecretariatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSS participates in UNFCCC COP meetings (COP29, COP30) and hosts side events on early warning systems and climate education.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UN system body coordinating global environmental responses; comparable to OSS as a multilateral environmental organization administering programs and capacity building, though with broader global mandate and larger budget than OSS's regional focus.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global membership-based environmental organization providing conservation frameworks, biodiversity data, and policy guidance; comparable to OSS as a convening body with scientific authority and member-driven governance.
• African Union Commission (AUC): Continental intergovernmental body coordinating African policy, including environmental programs and the Great Green Wall Initiative; comparable to OSS as a multilateral governance body operating across OSS's member states.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing environmental data platforms (e.g., Global Forest Watch, Aqueduct); comparable to OSS as a developer of Earth Observation-based decision-support tools for environmental monitoring.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): UN specialized agency working on agriculture, land, and natural resource management in Africa—directly comparable to OSS as an established multilateral partner with overlapping mandates in land, water, and climate adaptation.

Direct peers

• CILSS (Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel): Sahel-focused intergovernmental organization working on drought control, food security, and land/water management across West African member states—directly comparable to OSS in mandate, governance structure, and regional scope.
• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Intergovernmental organization supporting green growth and climate action in developing countries with similar project-based, member-state engagement model and access to climate finance for partner countries.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): Independent research institute producing environmental data, policy analysis, and tools for sustainable development—comparable to OSS in its bridging role between science, policy, and implementation across developing regions.
• Wetlands International: Global NGO focused on wetland conservation and water resource management; comparable to OSS in its specialization in environmental monitoring and transboundary ecosystem management.

Others

• African Development Bank (AfDB): Continental development finance institution with a Climate Change and Green Growth Department; comparable to OSS as a partner in African climate finance mobilization rather than a direct competitor, with AfDB acting as a funding channel and OSS as an accredited implementing entity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) Sahara and Sahel Observatory