The African Great Lakes provide important ecosystem services to the communities adjacent to the lakes. Among the most important services are fisheries, as a source of protein and a component of food security, and the use of water for drinking and industry. Lake managers need information on lake water status to maintain the fisheries and water quality in the face of increasing demands and threats. Traditional lake sampling from boats can provide researchers with very accurate information, but only at the sample locations. The practical limitations of cost and time prevent traditional sampling from a boat from giving a complete view of large lakes over time and space. Remote sensing can allow researchers and managers to have an expanded view of lake conditions over time and space. In the last few decades, the development of earth observation sensors flying on satellite, aircraft, or drones has enabled new detailed understanding of processes over time and across large lakes, such as water circulation and biological productivity. But making the most of this image sensor data still requires capacity development for the African Great Lakes region.

This workshop is motivated by the need to boost remote sensing as a tool within a larger need for long-term monitoring of the African Great Lakes. Remote sensing can provide monitoring data on lake water conditions such as temperature, turbidity, and algae abundance, depending on the type of sensor used to capture the image data. This workshop provided African Great Lakes experts the opportunity to acquire fundamental knowledge of remote sensing techniques for lake water quality, learn about sensors used on the lake to validate remote sensing measurements, and strengthen the network of researchers with interests in applying remote sensing to the African Great Lakes.