SciDev: Tap big data to fight floods and droughts in Africa

A satellite imagery platform called Digital Earth Africa has previously focussed on land resources such as forests. But it will now aggregate data from remote-sensing technologies, which will allow scientists at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to develop applications for detailed analysis on continent-wide water levels and supplies.

Crucially, this information will be held in the Open Data Cube, an open-source resource for earth observation data, which will give unprecedented levels of access to information on the situation across Africa.