• Khumbulani Mkhize

In fulfilment of its legislative mandate to acquire, archive, process, and disseminate satellite imagery and to develop innovative Earth Observation products and services that address pressing societal challenge, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Earth Observation (EO) programme is finalising three advanced decision support tools. These include the Air Quality Management Tool, Disaster Management Tool, and Water Management Tool.

These digital solutions are designed to support evidence-based decision making across the public and private sectors, strengthen national planning systems, and provide value to the broader Earth Observation community. Each tool reflects a rigorous user-requirements process undertaken in partnership with SANSA stakeholders to ensure relevance, usability, and operational benefit.

1. Air Quality Management Tool

Air quality is a critical determinant of public health and environmental sustainability. Poor air quality can have severe consequences for respiratory health, climate systems, and urban development. The tool leverages the Air Quality Index (AQI) derived from key routinely monitored pollutants to offer an intuitive and data-driven picture of air quality conditions.

The AQI dashboard will enable users to:

• View, track, and analyse monthly air quality data for towns and cities across South Africa.
• Identify the dominant pollutants in each area and understand their likely sources.
• Assess historical trends, compare conditions over time, and evaluate changes for selected locations.

This tool provides industry regulators, environmental practitioners, and municipalities with actionable intelligence to support compliance monitoring, public health advisories, and targeted mitigation strategies.

Air Quality Management decision support tool front end

2. Disaster Management Tool

Flooding remains one of the most frequent and damaging natural hazards globally and South Africa is no exception. Increasing extreme weather events, rapid urban expansion, and inadequate early-warning systems contribute to rising flood-related losses.

The Disaster Management Tool currently focuses on flood risk and response, offering capabilities that include:

• Flood risk mapping to support situational awareness and emergency response.
• Damage quantification to guide post-disaster assessments and resource allocation.
• Prediction and early warning, enabling proactive planning and improved community resilience.

By integrating satellite derived insights with predictive analytics, this tool empowers disaster management authorities to reduce vulnerability, enhance response coordination, and safeguard lives and infrastructure.

Disaster Management decision support tool front end

3. Water Management Tool

Water security is fundamental to economic stability, food production, energy supply, public health, and ecological integrity. Climate variability including drought, rising temperatures, and increased flood frequency poses growing risks to both water quantity and quality, often accelerating eutrophication, sedimentation, and ecosystem degradation.

The Water Management Tool is designed to:

• Map and monitor water quantity and quality using satellite-based indicators.
• Provide analytics to monitor volume estimates at a dam and catchment level
• Offer time-series analysis and early-warning indicators for eutrophication spread and other water quality issues.

These capabilities will support water resource managers, municipalities, and environmental regulators in safeguarding South Africa’s water systems and improving long-term resource planning.

Water Management decision support tool front end

Driving Innovation for National Benefit

SANSA remains committed to delivering forward-looking, operationally relevant solutions that leverage Earth Observation data to inform decisions, strengthen resilience, and support national development priorities. The tools will be finalised and ready for operational use in April 2026.

For access to SANSA’s Earth Observation data portfolio or to request demonstration and support on the decision support tools, please contact: customers-eo@sansa.org.za or Mr Khumbulani Mkhize, Marketing Specialist, kmkhize@sansa.org.za