Monitoring Landcover Changes of the Niger Inland Delta Ecosystem (Mali) by Means of Envisat-Meris Data

Abstract

The Niger Inland Delta is one of the most fragile ecosystems in the Sahelian zone of Africa. Annual flooding of vast plains during September to December depends on water levels of the main rivers Niger and Bani. The interaction among pre-flood, flood and post-flood conditions strongly affects land cover patterns in and around the delta. Assessing and mapping land cover dynamics is rendered possible by systematic application of remote sensing and image analysis. Thus support a better understanding of state and changes in the vulnerable ecosystem. Operational missions of earth observation contribute to the establishment of multi-seasonal and multi-annual monitoring schemes. This paper aims to show the potential of spectral high-resolution imaging spectrometry (MERIS) for monitoring spatio-temporal patterns of land use and land cover change in the Niger Inland Delta. 5 MERIS scenes, covering one vegetation-cycle from August 2002 until June 2003, have been used therefore.