SUP FCP – TERESA

Drought poses a severe threat to global water and food security, risking numerous food production systems (FAO, 2011), leading to economic risks and financial hardships in both developed and developing economies (Aghakouchak et al., 2015; Fleming‐Muñoz et al., 2023). Agriculture, utilizing 70% of freshwater globally, faces significant challenges in water-scarce regions, especially during periods of insufficient rainfall and excessive water resource utilization. Projections suggest that by 2030, more than 840 million people could face food insecurity due to water scarcity. Therefore, it’s essential to develop advanced research methods for accurately measuring water security, integrating approaches across sectors, and considering both large-scale drivers of water availability and their local impacts on areas like irrigation districts and river basins. These methods should be amalgamated with information about food production to gain a better understanding of food security. Under the Sentinel Users Preparation (SUP) initiative [identified as SUP-1], this research proposal aims to utilize various Earth observation data and agro-hydrological models to devise new ways of sensing drought, monitoring water balance, estimating crop yields, and develop water-food security metrics. These endeavours will improve management strategies for sustainable food systems and agriculture