Eastern Africa

Record low rainfall has triggered a disastrous drought in the Horn of Africa, causing a humanitarian crisis. Several individuals have been forced to leave their homes while many more are struggling with food scarcity due to a reduction of 40-70% in the average rainfall. This has resulted in water becoming a scarce resource. The lack of rainfall for one season can be disastrous, but experiencing six consecutive seasons without sufficient rain is beyond comprehension. The circumstances are so severe that the difference between survival and death can be measured in mere millimeters.

Organizations such as Planet are utilizing "planetary forensics" to assess the level of moisture in the soil, in order to comprehend the severity of the situation. By using Soil Water Content (SWC) data, they can accurately determine the environmental condition of dry areas. According to initial models by Planet, the recent drought in the Horn of Africa has the lowest moisture levels in the last…

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) has become an official member of the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), a worldwide project that brings together major actors in the climate, humanitarian, and development sectors.

ICPAC provides climate services to 11 nations in the Greater Horn of Africa — IGAD member states plus Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Its objective is to foster resilience in an area that has been severely impacted by climate change and harsh weather.

As the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Climate Centre for East Africa, ICPAC will leverage its experience in climate forecasting, anticipatory action, and multi-hazard early warnings to assist REAP Partners in scaling up action to protect 1 billion people from disaster by 2025.

ICPAC established a disaster operation situation room in October 2021 to monitor key risks…

A variety of environmental and man-made factors can have a detrimental effect on the yield of farmers worldwide. A programme launched in Kenya, funded by SERVIR in collaboration with NASA Harvest and the Swiss Re Foundation, uses Earth observation (EO) data to assess crop damage and prioritise the mobilisation of financial aid to farmers.

SERVIR is a joint initiative by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and NASA’s Earth Applied Sciences Program that works with “leading regional organizations world-wide to help developing countries use information provided by Earth observing satellites and geospatial technologies for managing climate risks and land use”. SERVIR both provides access to EO…