New, spatially transferable method to map drought using remote sensing
January 10, 2020
Covid 19 update – RSS is fully operational
April 1, 2020
In collaboration with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi (Kenya) and within a BIOVISION funded project, RSS has developed a satellite-based mechanism and data set on Striga weed (Striga asiatica) spread in Zimbabwe. The damage caused annually by Striga in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at US$ 1 billion, affecting the livelihoods of more than 100 million people. Small scale farmers tend to be more vulnerable to the infestation of this parasitic weed because they lack enough resources to manage the weeds. There are also no comprehensive mapping studies that have been conducted in tropical Africa to help guide the effective deployment of Striga intervention measures.
The new monitoring method is published in the Journal of GIScience & Remote Sensing (impact factor >3.5), titled ‘ Multi-source spatial data-based invasion risk modeling of Striga (Striga asiatica) in Zimbabwe’
PERSPECTIVES
The developed geo-spatial monitoring mechanism will help to identify current and future risk areas, the effective allocation of resources to priority areas and scale out of containment measures. Moreover, earth observation maps can need to highlight the extend of the problem thus creating awareness.
