Land Use Intensity’s Potential, Vulnerability and Resilience for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

What is LUISA

Welcome to the “Land Use Intensity’s Potential, Vulnerability and Resilience for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa” (LUISA) project. Our mission is to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers and pastoralists in Africa amidst the challenges posed by rapid population growth and climate change.

At LUISA, we’re dedicated to developing a cutting-edge satellite-driven decision-support platform. This platform empowers policymakers with more effective and reliable carbon monitoring capabilities across Africa, ultimately fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

Where We Operate

Our work extends across diverse landscapes in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Senegal, and Uganda.

Through carefully selected case study agroecosystems, we aim to capture the varied challenges and opportunities present in Africa’s agricultural sector. Partnering with esteemed institutions and organizations both locally and internationally, we combine expertise and resources to drive meaningful change on the ground.

Together, we work towards a future where sustainable agricultural development goes hand in hand with environmental conservation.

Project Goal

The heart of LUISA lies in our commitment to sustainable development in Africa. We recognize the pressing need to bridge the gap between carbon monitoring platforms and decision-making processes.

Central to our efforts is the concept of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity (HANPP), a crucial environmental indicator.

Through the utilisation of advanced technologies such as remote sensing and dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), our primary objective is to facilitate decision-makers’ understanding of the drivers and consequences of land use intensification on carbon dynamics.

Additionally, we prioritise effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders, ensuring that our solutions are not only innovative but also practical and user-friendly, empowering decision-makers to make informed choices for sustainable development.

What is Next

As we embark on our 24-month journey, our focus is on concrete action and tangible results. We are actively developing a remote sensing-driven HANPP monitoring framework tailored to Africa’s unique land cover types. This framework will undergo rigorous calibration and validation processes, ensuring its accuracy and reliability.

Additionally, we are designing a user-friendly graphical interface to democratise access to critical data and insights. Through these efforts, we aim to empower decision-makers and communities across Africa to build a more sustainable future.