The objective of the project, led by RAMCEA (Ramsar Centre for Eastern Africa), was to explore the potential of earth observation (EO) satellite data for taking stock of and monitoring wetlands, a vital component of the global water resources ecosystem. This activity piloted the design and development of a user-friendly digital system for use by the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment. It enabled authorities to generate spatial time series statistical data for taking inventory and monitoring national wetland resources. They then trained the government on its use and produced a roadmap for scaling to other countries.
This project addressed SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation. This unique solution demonstrated the potential of satellite-derived EO data to provide a full national wetland inventory in Uganda, which has been a pilot country for monitoring of SDG Target 6.6,. leveraging science to track, monitor, and improve the health of freshwater ecosystems. One of the main outputs of the project was to finalize a digital platform for monitoring and reporting on wetlands for authorities to generate spatial time series statistical data for inventorying and monitoring national wetland resources. The final version of this platform is available at http://uganda-wetlands.dhigroup.com.
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