Conservation Tracking

RCoE Action

Topic

Policy

Target

Title

Monitoring of sea surface temperature (SST) provides fundamental information on the global climate system and for the study of marine ecosystems. For example, it helps estimating heat stress conducive to coral bleaching, the process by which they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues and become white (bleached) and vulnerable. The NOAA Coral Reef Watch's daily global 5km satellite SST Anomaly (SSTA) compares the daily SST value with the long-term mean SST. A positive anomaly (+1.0 °C or more, warm colours) means the daily SST is warmer than the long-term average for that day; a negative anomaly (-1.0 °C or less, cold colours) means it is cooler than the average.

Ocean temperature is related to ocean heat content (the energy absorbed by the ocean), an important topic in the study of global warming. Monitoring of sea surface temperature (SST) from earth-orbiting infrared radiometers has had a wide impact on oceanographic science. It provides fundamental information on the global climate system and for the study of marine ecosystems. For example, it helps estimating heat stress conducive to coral bleaching, the process by which they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues and become white (bleached) and vulnerable. The NOAA Coral Reef Watch Daily Global 5km Satellite Sea Surface Temperature product (a.k.a. CoralTemp) measures the night-time ocean temperature at the sea surface, calibrated to 0.2 meters depth.

Chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chla) are an indicator of phytoplankton abundance and biomass in open waters. They can be an effective measure of trophic status and are commonly used to measure water quality. This layer compares the Chla value from the last full month with the long-term mean Chla. A positive anomaly (warm colours) means the monthly Chla is higher than the long-term average for that month; a negative anomaly (cool colours) means it is lower than the average.

Monitoring of sea surface temperature (SST) provides fundamental information on the global climate system and for the study of marine ecosystems. For example, it helps estimating heat stress conducive to coral bleaching, the process by which they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues and become white (bleached) and vulnerable. The NOAA Coral Reef Watch's daily global 5km 7-day SST Trend product shows the SST trend for the most recent seven days. Pixels coloured in blue to purple follow a cooling trend while pixels coloured in yellow to red follow a warming trend. Pixels coloured in green have insignificant trends.

Map showing the average continental surface temperature of the year 2022. This map was created by interpolating raw monthly satellite data to fill holes in the grids and subsequently adding and averaging the monthly surface temperatures of the year 2022. The data is clipped to only show the African continental region. The raw data is collected during the daytime by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), an instrument on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Please note that the type of "surface" MODIS measures varies as a function of location. In some places, the measurement represents the skin temperature of the bare land surface. In other places, the temperature represents the skin temperature of whatever is on the land-including snow and ice, or the leafy canopy of forests and crop fields, or human-made structures such as pavement and building rooftops.
Values are expressed in °C.
This dataset is part of the LEAP-RE project collection. For more information visit https://www.leap-re.eu/

"This map shows, for each grid cell, the environmental impact in terms of CO₂-equivalent emissions per kilowatt-hour [g CO2 eq/kWh] generated by by the following systems:

Cooling Absorption System;
Refrigeration Absorption System;
Binary ORC Power Plant;
Flash Power Plant;
Heat for Direct Use;
Heat for High Temperature Heat Pump;

The maps refer to:

base case scenario;
upside scenario, modelling a better fluid flow;
up up side, modelling both better fluid flow and higher underground temperatures.

This layer is part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project"

Increasing water scarcity and water quality issues are serious constraints in Africa and worldwide. Measuring precipitation anomalies is important for detecting and characterizing meteorological droughts, and, in the agricultural sector especially, for effectively managing climate related uncertainties. This layer shows the deviation of the precipitations of the last full month from the long-term average of the same month. A positive anomaly (shades of blue) means there was more rainfall than average during that month. A negative anomaly (yellow to red) means there was less rainfall than average during that month.

Vegetation fires have become a major concern in Africa because of their negative impacts on the environment and on human welfare. Uncontrolled (and un-prescribed) wildfires cause forest and vegetation degradation and related biodiversity loss, resulting in immediate and long-term impacts on the livelihoods of local communities and upstream impacts on national and regional economies. Fires in the tropical environment are a major contributor to tropical forest degradation and, if too frequent, can lead to savannisation of these areas. Vegetation fires are also a significant source of trace gases and aerosols in the atmosphere and contribute to the anticipated climate change, particularly with emissions of CO2. This layer shows the deviation of dekadal fire occurrences from the long-term average of the same 10-day period. A positive anomaly means more fire events than average for the last full 10-day period (red). A negative anomaly means less fire events than average for the last full 10-day period (green).

The Copernicus Global Land Service - Burnt Area products depict burn scars, surfaces which have been sufficiently affected by fire to display significant changes in the vegetation cover (destruction of dry material, reduction or loss of green material) and in the ground surface (temporarily darker because of ash). The monthly products are available at global scale in the spatial resolution of 300 m and cover the period from January 2019 to April 2022. The pixel bears the value of the day of the year in which the burn scars were visible while, if selected for mapping in this platform, the dataset shows the burn scars detected in the selected month.

This layer presents the Effective Leaf Area Index (LAIe) Anomalies, representing the deviation of current vegetation density from the historical average. Monitoring the change of LAI is essential for assessing the evolution of the vegetation over Africa.

LAI anomalies are calculated relative to the average values between 2003 and 2010. The dataset captures LAI anomalies every 10 days, reflecting the high variability and rapid changes in African vegetation cover. Increases in temperature and precipitation deficits are the primary drivers for negative anomalies (reduced foliage density). Beyond climatic factors, human activities or animal grazing may also locally impact the state and density of leaves.

This layer is part of the a href="https://fapar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/_www/index.php">Earth Land Information System (ELIS).

Reference evapotranspiration (Global - Monthly - ~10 km) August 2025- AQUASTAT (FAO) AgERA5 derived. Reference evapotranspiration per month with a spatial resolution of 0.1 degree. Unit: mm month-1. The dataset contains monthly values for global land areas, excluding Antarctica, since 1979. The dataset has been prepared according to the FAO Penman - Monteith method as described in FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/c91430cc-681e-4ca8-a5f4-8c97dc92c547/resource/ff49908e-2e07-48b3-8deb-0c69af411859

The Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Absorbed (FAPAR) is used to track the overall primary productivity associated with atmospheric CO2 fixation. FAPAR anomalies relative to the average between 2003 and 2010 show large surface variations, in terms of values and coverage, of vegetation productivity conditions over Africa. Temperature and precipitation deficits are the main drivers for the negative anomalies. Each location with a negative anomaly (FAPAR value lower than the long-term mean for that location – shades of red) indicates relative vegetation stress during that 10-day interval. Each location with a positive anomaly (FAPAR value higher than long-term mean for that location – shades of green) indicates relative favourable vegetation growth conditions during that 10-day interval. FAPAR values and their anomalies provide useful information for water and agricultural management purposes.

This layer is part of the Earth Land Information System (ELIS).

Food crisis response planning can save lives if put in place in a timely manner. To do this, decision makers must be warned of climate extreme events impacting agricultural production. The Anomaly hotSpot of Agricultural Production tool (ASAP) is an online decision support system for early warning about hotspots of agricultural production anomaly (crop and rangeland), developed by the JRC for food security crises prevention and response planning anticipation. This map shows the frequency at which countries were classified as hotspots for agricultural production problems between 2004 and 2018. Hotspots are identified on a monthly basis.

Food crisis response planning can save lives if put in place in a timely manner. To do this, decision makers must be warned of climate extreme events impacting agricultural production. The Anomaly hotSpot of Agricultural Production tool (ASAP) is an online decision support system for early warning about hotspots of agricultural production anomaly (crop and rangeland), developed by the JRC for food security crises prevention and response planning anticipation. This map shows the frequency of ASAP anomaly warnings for crop growth for 2004-2018. It highlights the high sensitivity of the main agricultural areas in Northern Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Southern African Development Community to drought conditions.

Food crisis response planning can save lives if put in place in a timely manner. To do this, decision makers must be warned of climate extreme events impacting agricultural production. The Anomaly hotSpot of Agricultural Production tool (ASAP) is an online decision support system for early warning about hotspots of agricultural production anomaly (crop and rangeland), developed by the JRC for food security crises prevention and response planning anticipation. This map shows the frequency of ASAP anomaly warnings for rangeland growth for 2004-2018. It highlights the high sensitivity of the main agricultural areas in Northern Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Southern African Development Community to drought conditions.

The GHS-BUILT-S spatial raster dataset depicts the distribution of the built-up (BU) surfaces estimates between 1975 and 2030 in 5 year intervals and two functional use components a) the total BU surface and b) the non-residential (NRES) BU surface. The data is made by spatial-temporal interpolation of five observed collections of multiple-sensor, multiple-platform satellite imageries: Landsat (MSS, TM, ETM sensor) data supports the 1975, 1990, 2000, and 2014 epochs, while a Sentinel-2 (S2) image composite (GHS-composite-S2 R2020A) supports the 2018 epoch.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 1975 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 1975 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 1980 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 1980 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 1985 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 1985 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 1990 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 1990 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 1995 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 1995 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 2000 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2000 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 2005 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2005 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 2010 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2010 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 2015 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2015 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface (square meters) for year 2020 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2020 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2025 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2025 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2030 over cells of 1x1 km size.

This data represents the total BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2030 over cells of 100x100 m size.

This data represents the Non Residential BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2030 over cells of 100 x100 m size.

This data represents the Non residential BU surface estimates (square meters) for year 2030 over cells of 1x1 km size.

Agricultural drought events can affect large regions across the world. Soil moisture (or soil water content) is an important variable for plant growth, and - together with precipitation and evapotranspiration - is a basic component of the hydrological cycle. The Soil Moisture Anomaly (SMA) indicator is used to detect and monitor agricultural drought, that is when there is reduced crop production due to insufficient soil moisture. It is computed as a deviation from the climatological reference period, and is updated 3 times a month (after the 10th, the 20th and the last day of the month). This layer displays the map for the last full decade of the current month. Negative anomalies (shades of brown) represent dry conditions.

Magnetic anomaly map of Africa, derived from the World Digital Magnetic Anomaly map (WDMAM). Note that the blurry areas are interpolated due to source not containing data points.
Values are expressed in nT.
The WDMAM is an international scientific project under the auspices of IAGA (International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy) and CGMW (Commission for the Geological Map of the World), aiming to compile and make available magnetic anomalies caused by the Earth lithosphere, on continental and oceanic areas, in a comprehensive way, all over the World. This layer is part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project"

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a geothermal system utilizing a Chiller unit.

Chiller refers to an absorption chiller or heat pump integrated into the geothermal system. It is used to provide cooling (by utilizing the geothermal heat) or to extract additional heat from the return fluid, thereby increasing the system's overall thermal harvest.

P50 is a statistical term used in risk analysis and forecasting. P50 represents the median scenario, meaning there is a 50% probability that the actual outcome will be higher than this value and a 50% probability it will be lower. It serves as the baseline "best estimate."

Metrics Definitions

Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.
Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the "doublet" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.
Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.
Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.
Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.
Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.
Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).
Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.
Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.
Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents "short-circuiting," where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

These layers are part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a Direct Heat geothermal system.

Direct Heat refers to the use of geothermal energy for applications such as space heating, industrial processes, or agriculture. In the utilized model, it is assumed a minimum production temperature of at least 60°C and a reinjection temperature of 40°C.

Metrics Definitions

Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.
Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.
Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.
Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.
Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.
Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.
Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).
Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.
Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.
Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This layer is part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a Direct Heat with Heat Pump geothermal system.

Direct Heat with Heat Pump refers to a scenario where a geothermal system is integrated with an industrial heat pump to upgrade low-grade heat. This allows for production from geothermal temperatures as low as 40°C, which are then heated by the pump to a delivery temperature of 80°C. The reinjection temperature is set to the production temperature minus 20°C, with a absolute minimum of 15°C.

Metrics Definitions

Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.
Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.
Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.
Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.
Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.
Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.
Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).
Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.
Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.
Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This layer is part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project

This dataset provides the P50 projections for an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) geothermal power plant.

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) refers to a binary power plant configuration where geothermal fluid (brine) is used to heat a secondary organic working fluid. This process allows for efficient electricity generation from medium-to-low temperature resources (typically 90°C to 150°C). The organic fluid vaporizes, drives a turbine, and is then condensed back into a liquid to repeat the cycle. The geothermal brine is reinjected into the reservoir after passing through the heat exchanger.

Metrics Definitions

Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.
Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.
Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.
Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.
Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.
Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.
Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).
Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.
Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.
Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This layer is part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project

Based on the Geothermal Atlas for Africa , the temperature models at 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, and 4 km depth are part of a 3D conductive thermal model of the African lithosphere.

These layers can be described as follows:

Model Basis: The layers are derived from a 3D grid with a vertical resolution of 250 meters down to 15 km, constructed using a lithosphere-scale conductive mode. This model incorporates sediment thickness, heat flow, crustal structure, and the depth of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB).
Calibration: The models are calibrated using a dataset of 923 filtered temperature observations from the British Geological Survey, which were averaged per model grid cell to improve data assimilation.
Environmental Adjustments:
- Surface Reference: The ETOPO surface level is used as the top reference level.
- Magmatic Areas: Magmatic areas have been treated as loci of elevated heat production at a depth range of 3 to 8 km, resulting in temperatures exceeding 200°C at 2 km depth.
Application: These depth-specific temperature grids serve as primary inputs for assessing the technical performance of geothermal production scenarios across Africa, including direct heating, chilling, and power production (ORC).

These layers are part of the Geothermal Atlas for Africa developed within the LEAP-RE project

Higher energy demands in Africa has led to a wide expansion of the number of hydropower sites, mainly between the 1960s and 1980s. The construction of dams causes impoundments of rivers and reservoirs in the regions of dam influence, with higher evaporation and water temperatures due to increased water surfaces. This map shows the he surface area (sqkm) of African reservoirs subject to hydropower production for the year 2016. It includes reservoirs of associated hydropower plants with installed capacities above 5MW. Apart from this, only reservoirs with a detected dam-caused impoundment of water surface are considered.