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Multi-temporal evaluation of quantitative and phenological vegetation dynamics using sentinel-2 images in North Horr (Kenya)

Abstract:

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Horn of Africa is getting drier. This research aims at assessing browning and/or greening dynamics and the suitability of Sentinel-2 satellite images to map changes in land cover in a semiarid area. Vegetation dynamics are assessed through a remote sensing approach based on densely vegetated areas in a pilot area of North Horr Sub-County, in northern Kenya, between 2016–2020. Four spectral vegetation indices are calculated from Sentinel-2 images to create annual multi-temporal images. Two different supervised classification methods—Minimum Distance and Spectral Angle Mapper—are then applied in order to identify dense vegetated areas. A general greening is found to have occurred in this period with the exception of the year 2020, with an average annual percentage increase of 19%. Results also highlight a latency between climatic conditions and vegetation growth. This approach is for the first time applied in North Horr Sub-County and supports local decision-making processes for sustainable land management strategies.