Abstract
Recent progress in large-scale georeferenced data collection is widening opportunities for combining multi-disciplinary datasets from biophysical to socioeconomic domains, advancing our analytical and modeling capacity. Granular spatial datasets provide critical information necessary for decision makers to identify target areas, assess baseline conditions, prioritize investment options, set goals and targets and monitor impacts. However, key challenges in reconciling data across themes, scales and borders restrict our capacity to produce global and regional maps and time series. This paper provides overview, structure and coverage of CELL5M-an open-access database of geospatial indicators at 5 arc-minute grid resolution-and introduces a range of analytical applications and case-uses. CELL5M covers a wide set of agriculture-relevant domains for all countries in Africa South of the Sahara and supports our understanding of multi-dimensional spatial variability inherent in farming landscapes throughout the region.
Highlights
Over 70 percent of the population in Africa South of the Sahara (SSA) live in rural areas, their livelihood and food security often depending on smallholdings and rainfed agriculture (Livingstone et al, 2011)
Erratic shifts in weather and climate-related shocks are hard felt in the region (Challinor et al, 2007)
We provide an overview of CELL5M and present a range of tools and applications for spatial targeting and strategic decision-making
Summary
1. Paul West, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA Peder Engstrom, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. 2. Katharina Waha, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), St Lucia, Australia. Any reports and responses or comments on the article can be found at the end of the article. This article is included in the Agriculture, Food and Nutrition gateway. Highlights Spatial datasets for development are often disciplinary and not interoperable. Developed CELL5M as a spatial database for agricultural research and development. Key themes include food production, agroecology, demographics, and market access
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