Drought monitoring in the Kingdom of Eswatini

The Kingdom of Eswatini is vulnerable to droughts, threatening agriculture, water security, and livelihoods across the country. As climate change intensifies drought conditions, it is more critical than ever to have accurate, validated, and contextualised insights to guide preparedness and response.

To address this, Akvo is developing and operationalising an integrated drought monitoring system for Eswatini. This system will streamline data collection, processing, and validation, ensuring that local governments, NGOs, and citizens have the insights needed to take timely and informed action before, during, and after droughts.

To effectively manage drought risks, Eswatini’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and its partners require timely, reliable, and accessible data to support decision-making. However, existing drought monitoring processes rely on manual data collection and fragmented information systems, making it difficult to quickly assess conditions and coordinate responses across sectors.

A centralised, automated, and user-friendly system is essential to improving collaboration and coordination, enhancing early warning capabilities, and strengthening drought preparedness.

Akvo is implementing a state-of-the-art drought monitoring platform that integrates automation and open-source technology to make drought tracking more efficient, accurate, and accessible.

Instead of relying on manual data collection and processing, the system automates drought monitoring, integrating real-time data to enable faster, more informed decision making. By providing timely and validated insights, it empowers local communities and government agencies to anticipate and respond to drought threats more effectively.

The platform is designed to seamlessly integrate with Eswatini’s existing IT infrastructure, ensuring ease of use, long-term sustainability, and minimal disruption to current workflows. Additionally, it enhances collaboration and coordination across key sectors - including agriculture, water management, and disaster response - enabling a unified and data-driven approach to drought resilience.

How it works

1. Automated data processing: The system retrieves drought-related datasets from multiple sources each month and generates the Composite Drought Index (CDI) Map to indicate drought severity.

2. Storage and accessibility: All data is securely stored in a geospatial database that enables data sharing and integration across sectors and is automatically uploaded to the online platform.

3. Expert review and validation: Experts are notified once the data is uploaded and are asked to review and validate the CDI data to ensure accuracy and reliability before publication.

4. Collaborative decision-making: A monthly meeting brings together all experts to resolve any outstanding issues, interpret national drought risks, and finalise the CDI data for publication.

5. Public access of drought information: Once published, the interactive platform allows anyone to browse, compare, and download CDI maps and drought risk information, supporting early warning and disaster preparedness efforts.

Key features

Automation & open source technology: Reduces manual workload while ensuring adaptability.
Cross-sector coordination: Brings together stakeholders for unified drought action.
Validation process: Experts collaboratively review and refine CDI data before publication.
Time-series comparison tool: Users can compare CDI Maps to analyse drought trends.
Download & sharing: CDI Maps can be exported for reports and policy planning.
User-friendly design: Ensures accessibility for both technical and non-technical users.

By providing reliable, validated data accessible to everyone, the system enhances drought preparedness, community resilience, and disaster risk reduction in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Empowers local communities and government agencies to respond quickly and effectively.
Automates drought tracking, reducing reliance on manual data collection.
Seamlessly integrates with Eswatini’s existing IT systems for long-term sustainability.
Enhances NDMA’s capacity by streamlining data processing for improved efficiency, reducing manual workloads, and improving coordination to enable a unified drought response.