In 2002-2004 the founding members of the TIGER initiative, including ESA, UNESCO (IHP), CSA and CSIR (South Africa), started a consultation process in collaboration with African water authorities, technical centres and other stakeholders in both the water and the EO sectors in Africa.

 

Four workshops helped to collect and define the institutional, technical, economic and social needs of the water sector in Africa, which helped to develop the TIGER strategy.

 

The African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) endorsed the initiative that in the timeframe 2005-2007 attracted further new key partners such as the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA). By 2007 some 150 African institutions (water authorities, universities, technical centers) were involved in TIGER through projects and training activities.

 

As a response to a clear recommendation of the First African Water Week in 2008, the initiative was reinforced with additional projects and training activities aiming to prepare African institutions to fully exploit the increasing operational observation capacity offered by satellites such the upcoming Sentinel missions.