Assessment of Conflict-Induced Dynamic Change in Vegetation Cover: A Earth Observation Case Study of West Darfur, Sudan
The topic is also suitable for GEM students in track 3 – GEM for Ecosystems & Natural Resources.
This study aims to investigate the environmental impacts of armed conflict in West Darfur, Sudan, with a particular focus on vegetation dynamics. The primary focus is to analyze how recent conflicts have impacted vegetation cover, particularly examining short-term and event-driven changes rather than long-term trends. Although some research has been conducted on the environmental impacts of conflict in this region, it has generally overlooked finer temporal scales.
To address this gap, the research will employ advanced Earth Observation techniques, specifically utilizing GEE, to monitor and visualize changes in vegetation dynamics effectively. By collecting Earth Observation data such as satellite imagery and relevant climatic datasets for West Darfur over a specified time frame, the study will enable real-time analysis of significant events.
The methodology will include implementing time-series analyses to detect short-term variations in vegetation cover in relation to historical conflict events. It will also generate Essential Climate Variable (ECV) products that provide critical data on vegetation health, density, and distribution. This comprehensive approach aims to fill the research gap surrounding the environmental impacts of conflict, offering crucial insights for policymakers, environmentalists, and humanitarian organizations engaged in the region.
West Darfur, Sudan, has experienced various forms of armed conflict and instability over the past three decades. While the impact of these conflicts on society has been widely studied, their effects on the environment—particularly on vegetation dynamics—have received far less attention. Although some research over the past decade has explored the environmental consequences of conflict in West Darfur, these studies have typically focused on long-term trends and have not examined changes at finer temporal scales. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the environmental impacts of the recent crisis in West Darfur using Earth Observation data, with a specific focus on understanding short-term and event-driven changes in vegetation cover. This research study will extensively utilize Google Earth Engine (GEE) for analysis and the generation of ECV products.
Bhardwaj, A., & Parveen, H. (2024). War and the Environment: The Ecological Consequences of Armed Conflict. The Academic-International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(9), 702-717.
Ahmed, A., Rotich, B., Kipkulei, H. K., Lameck, A. S., Gallai, B., & Czimber, K. (2025). Vegetation dynamics and climate variability in conflict zones: a case study of Sortony Internally Displaced Camp, Darfur, Sudan. Land, 14(8), 1680.