The Challenge

Improving farm yields in Africa is a priority but translating Earth observation and satellite data into useable information for farmers is key to developing agriculture capacity on the continent.

The Solution

The Africa Regional Data Cube (ARDC) is a tool that harnesses the latest Earth observation and satellite technology to help Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Tanzania addressing food security as well as issues relating to agriculture, deforestation, and water access.

The data cube makes critical data easier to use. The Africa Regional Data Cube (ARDC) is a technological innovation that layers 17 years of satellite imagery and Earth observation data for the five African countries. It stacks 8,000 scenes across a time series and makes the data accessible via an online user interface.

Once in use it helps deliver insights that are needed to deliver better policies and achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Back in 2007, it would have cost more than $900,000 per year to access imagery and data of this quality for Kenya alone. But now the data is all free, although its not as simple as access open data. There remain challenges related to resources, capacity, and infrastructure.

The Outcome

However, the ARDC illustrates what is possible when partnerships, data, and innovation come together. Earth observation data and satellite imagery can promote food security to help end hunger.

The data cube was developed by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) in partnership with the Group on Earth Observations, Amazon Web Services, Strathmore University in Kenya, Office of the Deputy President - Kenya, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.