Course Overview
Course Overview
GIS and Remote Sensing in Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change Course (10 days) Whether you’re working in government agriculture programs, managing rural development projects, or guiding climate policy, you need accurate, timely information. That’s where GIS and remote sensing step in. These tools allow you to track land use, monitor crop health, detect droughts early, and map food insecurity zones with confidence. But technology alone isn’t the answer. This training goes beyond the software. You’ll learn how to use real-world geospatial data, analyze it for agricultural and climate-related applications, and present it in ways that support decision-makers, field teams, and community leaders. From pixel to policy, this course connects technical skills to mission-critical outcomes. You’ll work with open-source tools, global data platforms, and real project examples. Expect hands-on exercises, not long lectures. Expect maps that matter. And most importantly, expect to leave with practical capabilities you can apply immediately, whether you're building a food security early warning system or helping smallholders adapt to climate change.
Intended Participants
- This course is built for professionals who work at the intersection of agriculture, climate, and food systems, including:
- Agricultural officers mapping crops, land use, and resource allocation
- Climate change analysts identifying areas of vulnerability
- NGO staff supporting food and livelihood resilience in rural areas
- Program managers monitoring inputs, yields, and outcomes
- Remote sensing technicians needing agriculture-specific application training
- Government staff designing climate-smart agricultural policies
- M&E professionals tracking environmental and program impact
- Disaster response coordinators visualizing drought and food insecurity zones
- Researchers modeling crop-climate interactions
Learning Outcomes
- This course gives you the tools to analyze, visualize, and act on spatial data for smarter agricultural and climate decisions.
- You will learn to:
- Understand the basics of GIS and remote sensing with a focus on agriculture
- Access, process, and interpret satellite imagery for land and crop analysis
- Map agricultural land use, food insecurity, and climate risk areas
- Apply vegetation indices and time-series analysis to monitor crop health
- Use geospatial tools to track and respond to drought, floods, and weather events
- Integrate field data with satellite data for improved program insight
- Build maps and dashboards that support communication and planning
- Make decisions based on spatial trends, not just static reports
Course Modules
Module 2: Mapping Agricultural Land Use
- Land classification from satellite data
- Mapping cropping zones and seasonal land use
- Analyzing land cover change over time
- Understanding pixel resolution and spatial scale
- Building maps of land productivity zones
Module 3: Monitoring Crop Health and Stress
- Using NDVI and vegetation indices to assess plant condition
- Detecting early signs of drought or pests
- Building crop calendars with time-series data
- Comparing yield potential across areas
- Integrating farmer input data with satellite observations
Module 4: Mapping Food Security and Vulnerability
- Identifying key indicators of food insecurity
- Layering socioeconomic and environmental risk factors
- Mapping infrastructure and market access
- Spatial analysis of malnutrition or hunger hotspots
- Using maps to support food distribution planning
Module 5: Climate and Drought Risk Analysis
- Using remote sensing for rainfall, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture
- Understanding SPI and other drought indices
- Mapping zones of climate vulnerability
- Seasonal climate forecasts and scenario mapping
- Early warning systems and rapid response planning
Module 6: Data Management and Map Production
- Organizing field and remote data for clarity and consistency
- Cleaning and structuring datasets for analysis
- Managing projections, layers, and map symbology
- Creating effective map layouts with legends and scale
- Exporting visuals for reports and presentations
Module 7: Open Source Tools for Spatial Analysis
- Navigating QGIS for agriculture-specific use
- Using Google Earth Engine to analyze large datasets
- Accessing FAO, NASA, and Copernicus resources
- Mobile data collection with KoboToolbox
- Automating tasks with scripts and plugins (optional for advanced users)
Module 8: Planning and Intervention Mapping
- Identifying areas for input support or crop switching
- Mapping irrigation, storage, and distribution networks
- Planning adaptation strategies with climate overlays
- Visualizing yield and market proximity
- Presenting intervention maps to stakeholders
Module 9: Monitoring Over Time and M&E Integration
- Designing spatial indicators for program tracking
- Conducting before/after comparisons
- Creating dashboards that display change visually
- Linking GIS analysis to donor reporting frameworks
- Detecting patterns in project outcomes across locations
Module 10: Telling Stories with Maps
- Building compelling map-based narratives
- Designing visuals for clarity and action
- Communicating with non-technical audiences
- Using maps in reports, proposals, and presentations
- Developing templates for recurring map products