Tracking Climate Security Impacts in the Sahel Region: Advancing on SDGs Indicators Monitoring, Reporting and Accounting

The SDGs-EYES webinar “Tracking Climate Security Impacts in the Sahel Region: Advancing on SDGs Indicators Monitoring, Reporting and Accounting” provided an in-depth exploration of monitoring and forecasting tools to enhance citizen security. This webinar showcased an innovative Earth Observation-based tool that delivers information on the number of affected buildings and communities due to disasters (e.g. floods) in the Sahel region, a climate security hotspot. The tool aims at supporting local and European policy-making processes in climate security and disaster resilience.

Participants gained insights into the pilot‘s advanced tools and datasets, designed to enhance stakeholders’ understanding and response strategies with respect to disasters in fragile countries. 

The webinar will foster discussions on potential applications, align solutions with user needs, and encourage the adoption of the pilot’s outcomes to address real-world challenges.

Key Highlights

• Prioritising accessible and timely EO data for crisis response. While Earth Observation (EO) data availability is improving, significant barriers remain in terms of accessibility and usability—particularly in crisis contexts. In the first 72 hours following a disaster, temporal resolution was highlighted as more critical than spatial resolution for enabling timely humanitarian response, such as food assistance and logistics. Ultimately, blending EO data with on-the-ground insights is key to effective decision-making.

• Strengthening local ownership through co-design and capacity-building. There was a strong call to move beyond top-down approaches and ensure EO tools are developed in close collaboration with local and national institutions. Co-design – particularly in the creation of local vulnerability maps – was highlighted as an effective way to ensure tools are relevant, trusted, and actionable. Panellists emphasised the importance of incorporating user feedback, updating training curricula to reflect advances in AI and geospatial technology, and investing in regional centres to support knowledge transfer.

• Overcoming governance barriers to EO adoption. Fragmented mandates and data silos within governments continue to hinder the effective use of EO across Africa. Participants noted that while data is often collected and reported, it does not automatically lead to action or policy change, leading to fatigue among both local authorities and international partners. Improved data governance, cross-sector collaboration, and political commitment are essential to align EO tools with national strategies, particularly for early warning and conflict-sensitive applications.

• Designing EO tools for non-technical and local end-users. Many local stakeholders, including decision-makers and frontline planners, lack the technical background to engage directly with complex geospatial datasets. Panellists agreed that EO tools must be designed with usability in mind – providing clear, actionable insights in accessible formats such as dashboards, mobile applications, or decision-support tools – so that they can truly inform local responses to climate and security challenges.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

The panel highlighted the critical role of EO tools in addressing climate risks across the Sahel. From drought indices to flood monitoring, integrating EO data with local knowledge and AI supports early warning, land use planning, and sustainable resource management in vulnerable regions.

Improving data accessibility and usability was a core theme. While platforms like Digital Earth Africa offer valuable datasets, many local authorities lack the tools and skills to use them effectively. Simplifying outputs and designing for non-expert users is essential for local uptake. Additionally, co-design and capacity building were seen as essential for long-term impact. Partnerships with governments and training centres are helping align EO tools with national priorities and SDG reporting. Local engagement also strengthens trust and ensures solutions fit real needs.

Looking ahead, the project will prioritise user engagement and further uptake of the pilot’s service, with several participants already showing interest in applying the methodology within their own monitoring frameworks. Continued feedback and collaboration will be essential to refining and integrating these tools into broader environmental monitoring efforts.