Abstract: The spatial and temporal cloud coverage derived by CloudSat, CERES, ISCCP satellite observations and their relationship with GPCP and TRMM precipitation in West, East and South of Africa were analyzed in this study. CloudSat, CERES and ISCCP show that the high spatial cloud coverage is more frequent in equatorial regions mainly due to more strong convection than other regions. CloudSat shows a low temporal cloud coverage than CERES and ISCCP which are close. Only ISCCP was used to investigate seasonal and temporal variability of different cloud types. The stratocumulus, altostratus, and cirrus clouds are the low, middle and high cloud types with high cloud coverage during JJA, JJA, MAM in West of Africa, during SON, JJA, MAM in East of Africa, and during SON, DJF, DJF in South of Africa respectively . The correlation between cloud coverage and precipitation dataset generally shows a low positive correlation in East of Africa probably due to GPCP and TRMM observations biases whereas a high positive correlation in West and South of Africa. Only middle clouds level in East of Africa, both low and middle in West of Africa show negative correlation with precipitation, whereas all cloud types level in South of Africa show a positive correlation with precipitation.Abstract: The spatial and temporal cloud coverage derived by CloudSat, CERES, ISCCP satellite observations and their relationship with GPCP and TRMM precipitation in West, East and South of Africa were analyzed in this study. CloudSat, CERES and ISCCP show that the high spatial cloud coverage is more frequent in equatorial regions mainly due to more strong c...Show More
Abstract: Agriculture, mainly based on rain, is one the most important economic activities in Lower Casamance region. Its agricultural production is vulnerable to climatic variability. The water management has become an important issue for rural populations food security. This research aims at the characterization of environmental evolution and agricultural production, around the anti-salt micro-dams in Lower Casamance area, which has a high rainfall and a rich potential of water resources. This study examines the hydro-agricultural planning issues in Lower Casamance and aims at the analysis of the land use change and its evolution in the Agnack sub-basin around anti- salt micro-dam between 1984 and 2010. Based on the importance of rice production area around micro-dams, the analysis focus on eight sites. Using satellite imagery Landsat TM of 1984 and 1992 and ETM of 2000 and 2010 combined with ground, socio-economic survey and soil analysis data, this research investigates land use change through image classifications, change detection and landscape pattern analysis. We conducted a mapping of the rice paddies to determine the evolution of riceland during these dates. Through a pseudo-supervised classification coupled with field data, we characterized the different types of land use and cover. Results of land use/cover change analysis showed a decrease of riceland area; while there is a relative vegetation regeneration between 1984 and 2010. The soil analysis showed a deterioration in soil quality which is showed by a very high acidity in all sites and a soil salinity of riceland in the upstream developed valleys. Socio-economic surveys showed the importance of the micro-dams. In the term, the micro-dam did not achieve the expected results. It could not solve the problem of degraded soil desalination and intensification of rice growing.Abstract: Agriculture, mainly based on rain, is one the most important economic activities in Lower Casamance region. Its agricultural production is vulnerable to climatic variability. The water management has become an important issue for rural populations food security. This research aims at the characterization of environmental evolution and agricultural ...Show More
