Remote sensing data has great potential to change the way we interact with and understand our agricultural systems. Yet, much work and expertise goes from the data to information and from information to actions. This paper presents a framewok for translating open-source remotely-sensed water productivity data (from the WaPOR database) into actionnable information at the field level, it presents a water stress sensitivity index as well as six crucial water productivity factors and discusses key findings relating to the improvement of water productivity.   

Type: Case study

Location: Lebanon

Application: Assessing/monitoring water and/or land productivity, Monitoring and supporting decisions to improve irrigation, Supporting solutions to reduce yield and productivity gaps, Understanding spatial variability of water-related and plant activity-related variables

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification), NPP (Net Primary Production), qLCC (quality Land Cover Classification), qNDVI (quality Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)

Scale used: 30m

Organization/institution: IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Wageningen University and Research

Language: English

This report published by the FAO presents the latest data on the state of climate services for agricultural users with surveys from 36 countries across all FAO regions. The report presents case studies that highlight additional challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from specific interventions across the climate services provision framework. Two applications that use WaPOR data (that are already featured in this catalog as single entries) are presented in this report (page 57). This allows to place efforts that include WaPOR data in the wider picture of all the ecosystem of climate services in agriculture.

Type: Case study

Location: Egypt, Lebanon

Application: Providing advisory services to farmers

Organization/institution: FAO, WMO, GFCS

Language: English

The lack of adequate data is an issue that unfortunately affects many parts of the world. This paper evaluates the adequacy of WaPOR reference evapotranspiration data to be used as a good alternative to the Modified Hargreaves-Samani and Penman-Monteith methods as input for stream flow models (HBV hydrological model for simulating the runoff) where there is a shortage or lack of meteorological data.

Type: Resource

Application: Evaluation

Layers used: RET (Reference Evapotranspiration)

Organization/institution: Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (Iran), Shahrekord University (Iran)

Language: English

The authors of this paper seel to map the seasonal and spatial variability of agricultural water productivity of sugarcane crop in three large irrigation schemes of Ethiopia (Wonji, Fincha’a and Metahara) using WaPOR data. 

Type: Case study

Location: Ethiopia

Application: Assessing/monitoring the water consumption of crops, Assessing/monitoring water and/or land productivity, Understanding spatial variability of water-related and plant activity-related variables

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), NPP (Net Primary Production)

Scale used: 100m

Organization/institution: Ambo University, Addis Ababa University, ArbaMinch University

Language: English

In this paper, WaPOR data is used, in conjunction with other datasets, as input to compute a national baseline model for mapping water risks across Ethiopia. This model estimates water withdrawal and consumption for irrigation, livestock, domestic, and industrial water use, with 2015 as a baseline. Through four indicators: baseline water stress, months of water scarcity, seasonal variability, and interannual variability, it offers a broad picture of water risk. 

Type: Case study

Location: Ethiopia

Application: Assessing/monitoring water resources, Understanding spatial variability of water-related and plant activity-related variables

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification)

Scale used: 250m

Organization/institution: World Resources Institute (WRI)

Language: English

Agricultural data occupies a central place in how our food systems are presently managed as well as the resources linked to them such as water or other inputs. In light of that, their collection has to be well distributed both spatially and temporally. Spatially so as to have a complete understanding of the area of interest and temporally, so as to build a database of historical data that allows trends to be identified and changes to be quantified.   Unfortunately, in periods of conflict, the mechanisms for collecting agricultural data can be disrupted as it might be too unsafe for data to be collected in-situ, or crucial data-collecting infrastructure might be damaged. In such cases, remote sensing data (or earth observations data) can constitute a viable data source to turn to as an alternative or a complement.   This case study explores the use of WaPOR data to monitor agricultural activity in conflict areas by focusing on the use of WaPOR data in Syria.

Type: Case study

Location: Syrian Arab Republic

Application: Assessing/monitoring the impact of a stressor (drought conflict … ) on agriculture

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification), P (Precipitation)

Scale used: 100m

Organization/institution: FAO

Language: English

To be in a better position to face challenges related to the sustainable use of our finite freshwater resources, especially in countries with rapidly expanding populations, it is crucial to better understand water supply, demand and availability. Water accounting is one tool that can assist with that and it can be supported by easily available open-access data. This case study aims to show how WaPOR (FAO’s portal to monitor Water productivity through open access of remotely sensed derived data) data can be used to support water auditing processes at different scales: the basin, the national scale and the subnational/scheme scale.

Type: Case study

Location: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania

Application: Assessing/monitoring water resources

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification), P (Precipitation)

Scale used: 100m, 250m

Organization/institution: FAO

Language: English

This study carried in Mozambique, more specifically in the Xai-xai area aims to measure water productivity, using different products, at different scales: the sub-project level and the field level. WaPOR water productivity data was used at the subproject level. The study's overall objective is “to demonstratestrengths and weaknesses of various Water Productivity information products”.

Type: Case study,Resource

Location: Mozambique

Application: Assessing/monitoring water and/or land productivity

Layers used: GBWP (Gross Biomass Water Productivity)

Scale used: 100m, 250m

Organization/institution: FutureWater

Language: English

Water Accounting + (WA+) is a tool that allows for the collection, analysis, summary and reporting of water related information in river basins. WA+ uses remotely sensed and other open access data to compute water flows. It was employed in the study of the water resources in the Litani River Basin in the period from the period from 2009 to 2018. 

Type: Case study

Location: Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic

Application: Assessing/monitoring water resources

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification), P (Precipitation)

Scale used: 100m, 250m

Organization/institution: IHE Delft

Language: English

Water Accounting + (WA+) is a tool that allows for the collection, analysis, summary and reporting of water related information in river basins. WA+ uses remotely sensed and other open access data to compute water flows. It was employed in the study of the water resources in the Awash River Basin in the period from the period from 2009 to 2018. 

Type: Case study

Location: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia

Application: Assessing/monitoring water resources

Layers used: AETI (Actual Evapotranspiration and Interception), LCC (Land Cover Classification), P (Precipitation)

Scale used: 100m, 250m

Organization/institution: IHE Delft

Language: English