Identifying existing water sources 

The product provides soil moisture content, water body height and water extent – which includes both water bodies and saturated ground – information using microwave data from Earth observation (EO) satellites that can be used to identify and map water sources and water availability. The product primarily uses data from free-to-access Sentinels and other space agency satellite missions. It can help key users in government or other stakeholders relevant to water management or draught and floods monitoring in understanding water availability. Comparisons of satellite-derived water extents over time can show areas of diminishing open water with variations of water height for larger water bodies. Microwave EO data has the benefit of not being affected by cloud, and when combined with other data sources provides an invaluable and practical way to monitor water sources over wide areas and in countries where similar information is often sparse.