Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Geospatial Tools and Remote Sensing Strategies for Timely Humanitarian Response: A Case Study on Drought Monitoring in Eswatini
 
research article

Geospatial Tools and Remote Sensing Strategies for Timely Humanitarian Response: A Case Study on Drought Monitoring in Eswatini

Munyaka, Jean-Claude Baraka
•
Chenal, Jerome  
•
Mabaso, Sizwe
Show more
January 1, 2024
Sustainability

This article explores the escalating impact of natural disasters, particularly droughts, in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with a specific focus on Eswatini. Over the last century, approximately 63 million people in SADC countries have been affected by droughts, leading to challenges in agriculture, livestock losses, and severe food and water shortages. Despite being the smallest SADC nation, the Kingdom of Eswatini faces disproportionate consequences due to its susceptibility to climate variability, particularly drought. The inadequacy and unreliability of rainfall have resulted in a drastic reduction in food production, with maize, a staple crop, experiencing a 70% decline. This adverse trend, spanning three decades, has heightened the vulnerability of farmers to climatic shocks, hindering sustainable agricultural development and impeding poverty alleviation efforts. To address the growing threat of drought in the kingdom, a comprehensive approach is imperative, involving coordinated plans and the development of swift humanitarian relief strategies. This study utilized remote sensing technologies to monitor drought and assess its repercussions, evaluating the impact on agricultural production. Additionally, geospatial tools, including Open Route Service (ORS) and Near Neighbor Analysis algorithms, were employed to optimize humanitarian supply chain logistics. Results from the analysis, including Vegetation Health Index (VHI) fluctuations and drought severity mapping, reveal that 1990 was the year the kingdom was most severely hit by drought. This study also found that smallholder farmers practicing rainfed agriculture in vulnerable regions, such as the lower Middleveld and western Lowveld, suffered the severe socioeconomic consequences of agricultural drought, including income loss, food insecurity, and migration patterns. Through this integrated approach, decision makers can engage in targeted interventions, focusing on farming areas needing irrigation infrastructures or populated areas requiring a coordinated humanitarian response amidst climate variability.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.3390/su16010409
Web of Science ID

WOS:001140446000001

Author(s)
Munyaka, Jean-Claude Baraka
Chenal, Jerome  
Mabaso, Sizwe
Tfwala, Samkele Sikhulile
Mandal, Anil Kumar
Wu, Harris
Wang, Nengmin
He, Qidong
Date Issued

2024-01-01

Publisher

MDPI

Published in
Sustainability
Volume

16

Issue

1

Start page

409

Subjects

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

•

Drought Monitoring

•

Remote Sensing

•

Southern African Development Community (Sadc)

•

Eswatini

•

Humanitarian Supply Chains (Hscs)

•

Humanitarian Logistics (Hls)

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
SHS-ENS  
FunderGrant Number

CEAT Lab: EPFL

Available on Infoscience
February 21, 2024
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/205034
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés