Modernizing Agricultural Monitoring in West Africa Using Earth Observation Data
A SERVIR West Africa Community of Practice is Leading the Way
Advancing national agriculture monitoring in West Africa through Earth Observation data is now more achievable thanks to SERVIR West Africa, one of the SERVIR Hubs. SERVIR is a joint initiative of USAID and NASA. Through a collaborative development of semi-automated approaches, the program is creating baseline agricultural datasets and focusing on training and collaboration to streamline the process for producing cropland maps that support food security assessments.
From June 3-7, 2024, the Centre de Suivi Écologique (CSE), a SERVIR WA partner in Senegal, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and NASA Science Coordination Office, organized a technical training on cropland mapping for the community of practice (CoP). The training included representatives from the Agriculture, Hydrology, and Meteorology Research Center (AGRHYMET), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the Directorate of Agricultural Analysis, Forecasting, and Statistics (DAPSA)—all members of the CoP.
Utilizing Helmet GoPro Data Collection and Google Earth Engine for Cropland Mapping
The five-day training was pivotal in enhancing the capacities of CoP members, focusing on scalable methods for using Google Earth Engine and the Helmets Labeling Crops' reproducible baseline products. Training sessions provided participants with advanced skills in agricultural mapping and an opportunity to experience technologies that simplify and accelerate the collection of essential data for food security.
A significant highlight was the introduction of the Helmet GoPro Data Collection on the third day. This method, which involves using helmet-mounted GoPro cameras, is a reliable, efficient, and scalable approach to crop type data collection.
Dr Catherine Nakalembe, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, Project Principal Investigator, and Thematic Lead for Agriculture and Food Security within the NASA-SERVIR Applied Sciences Team, believes this innovative method is poised to transform agricultural data collection and monitoring globally.
"The helmet approach allows for rapid collection of large amounts of geolocated data with increased accuracy," explained Dr Nakalembe. "This automated and standardized approach reduces human errors and omissions, providing more reliable data and comprehensive coverage with limited resources. It's easily reproducible in various geographical contexts and accessible to collectors without specialized training, democratizing the process and involving more of the community in mapping."
Hannah Kerner, Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and Co-investigator on the NASA SERVIR WA Applied Sciences Team, highlighted the value of Google Earth Engine in enhancing the program's effectiveness:
“Google Earth Engine allows participants to create initial maps quickly and iterate rapidly to improve them. It offers a simple Application Programming Interface (API) and a map visualization interface that we can use to analyze very large Earth observation datasets without downloading images or purchasing expensive hardware.”
During the training, the University of Maryland's NASA Harvest Program Team, led by Assistant Professor Dr Catherine Nakalembe, donated 5 GoProkits for training use.
Ms Fatim Samb, a project manager at CSE, expressed enthusiasm following the hands-on experience:
“I am impressed by the tool's efficiency and simplicity. It will help us tremendously. It simplifies our work. We just need to attach the camera to a motorcycle helmet or car door and drive through the fields to collect data for crop type mapping. The platform then transforms the geolocated images into a set of georeferenced points labeled on the crop fields, which can be associated with satellite images for downstream tasks such as crop type mapping,” shared Ms Samb.
"In our organization, the CSE, we have experimented with data collection using motorcycles. We’ve previously used our mobile phones to take GPS coordinates and photos but this tool is a significant enhancement. It collects rapid geotagged images of data points for crop type mapping," added Dr Mamadou Adama Sarr, Coordinator of SERVIR WA for CSE, Senegal.
In her closing remarks, Dr Catherine Nakalembe stated, “I am hopeful that participants will apply their newly acquired skills to generate annual cropland maps (2019-2024), assess cropland products, conduct crop condition assessments, and calculate annual cultivated area estimates. In the long term, participants will be equipped to develop maps of priority crop types using the Helmet Data Collection Method introduced during the training.”
Strengthening Collaboration for Sustainable Agricultural Monitoring
Alongside the training, the team from the University of Maryland, NASA Science Coordination Office, and other representatives from AGRHYMET and ICRISAT visited DAPSA to discuss opportunities for strengthening their collaboration. Mr. Ibrahima Mendy, DAPSA Director, emphasized the importance of having crop monitoring services backed by reliable geospatial data to support the directorate’s efforts in data collection and yield estimation.
SERVIR WA’s collaboration with leading institutions like DAPSA demonstrates a strong commitment to promoting the use of satellite data to improve agricultural resource management. It underscores the importance of creating synergies between sectors for sustainable initiatives. This workshop marks the beginning of a series of trainings, with the next step already being planned at the University of Maryland.
Written by Thioro C. Niang (CSE) with inputs from Agathe Diama (ICRISAT).
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This work aligns with SDG 17.
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The contents are the sole responsibility of SERVIR WA and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, NASA or the United States Government.
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Agathe Diama