Space-based flood monitoring to support disaster risk management in Sudan

In August 2020, Sudan experienced severe flooding due to torrential rains, affecting 17 of its 18 states. The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Sudan activated the International Charter Space and Major Disasters to access satellite data for disaster management. The Ruhr-University Bochum, in collaboration with the Center for Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (ZFL) at the University of Bonn and the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), managed this activation. They processed satellite imagery to identify affected regions and populations, supporting national disaster risk management efforts. Given the high cloud cover during such events, radar data was particularly valuable, as it can penetrate clouds and provide information regardless of weather conditions.