Exploring the use of earth observation techniques for monitoring outcomes of wetland restoration interventions : a case of Limoto in Pallisa District

Abstract

Monitoring outcomes of wetland restoration interventions can contribute to the improvement of restoration design and provide data to inform critical decisions such as prioritizing what actions to take, where, when and how they should be executed. This research explored the use of Earth Observation techniques to monitor outcomes of wetland restoration interventions in Limoto wetland in a reliable, timely and cost-effective manner. Advantage was taken of the cloud computing processing power of the Google Earth Engine and the freely available high-resolution Sentinel-1 imagery. Analysis showed a relationship between the implemented wetland restoration activities and the resultant behavior of the classes in the wetland. It was observed that the wetland restoration activities implemented in 2016 contributed to a rise in water vegetation and bare land, and a reduction in agriculture within the wetland in the subsequent December – February dry season.