Mapping the Dynamics of Water Bodies in Africa

Water bodies, such as lakes and rivers, are a critical source of water across Africa, and their presence is becoming increasingly variable due to more frequent occurrences of droughts and floods brought on by climate change. The Digital Earth Africa program has developed a provisional continental Waterbodies service, which maps over 700,000 water bodies and tracks their surface area dynamics over the last 38 years. In this paper, we discuss the co-design and development of Digital Earth Africa’s provisional continental Waterbodies service, initial results, and next steps.