Surface-2-Storage - final report

In the project Surface2Storage, we have explored and developed two different methods to derive relationships between surface area, estimated from earth observations, and water levels. Once established, these relationships can be used to operationally invert a water level from an EO observed surface area (for which we use the freely available Sentinel-2 data, in conjunction with Landsat) and integrate water level and surface to volumetric storage estimates. Not only have methods been developed, they have also been validated and applied for use cases together with 510, the digital and data initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross (hereinafter Red Cross 510). This was done in co-design with stakeholders in Lesotho and Zambia. Within the project, storage estimates were made available in the Global Water Watch web platform, for global surface water monitoring. In the platform, surface area estimates are made using freely available Sentinel-2 data combined with Landsat data, and volumes are estimated by feeding surface area into the found surface area – water level relationships. Every month, any new image overpassing a reservoir is processed into new surface area and volume estimates. In this final report, we summarize the results of the full project.