Associate Professor, African Association for Geospatial Development
Dr Nesrine Chehata
Dr Nesrine Chehata
Dr. Nesrine Chehata, Senior Lecturer at Bordeaux INP, is an expert in geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence for Earth observation and the environment. She has worked at CNES (the French Space Agency), IGN (the French National Mapping Agency), and IRD-Tunisia (the Research and Development Institute). She also serves as an expert for the European Space Agency’s Environment Group. Since 2016, she has co-founded and presided over AGEOS, the African Association for Geospatial Development, where she actively promotes geospatial technologies across Tunisia and Africa, building capacity through engagement with public institutions, local authorities, students, and children. A strong advocate for open geographic data, she has contributed to inclusive governance, innovation, and entrepreneurship by promoting the reuse of open geodata. She drives geospatial projects with local authorities and leads hackathons focused on open geodata, artificial intelligence, and climate change adaptation. She also supports startups and companies in the climate-oriented geospatial sector. She played a key role in developing Tunisia’s national space strategy. In 2022, she co-founded the Aeronautics Circle, launched the TunisiaDroneDay conference, and contributed to the national drone regulation initiative. Since 2021, she has served as President of the National Forum on Climate Change Adaptation (FNACC) and currently chairs the UNESCO Chair in Climate Change Adaptation at Bordeaux INP, France. Through these roles, she highlights the importance of space-based technologies in climate action and supports local initiatives to build sustainable and resilient African cities.
