RRSU Database

The Regional Remote Sensing Unit (RRSU) maintains a database with satellite images and vector datasets of SADC countries, which include information on national and sub-national administrative boundaries, elevation, infra-structure, hydrology, major growing areas, forests, protected areas and cultural sites. The types of satellite images in the database are listed below:

Data Type	Resolution	Uses
METEOSAT	3 / 5 km	Monitoring rainfall, storms
Rainfall Estimates	8 km	Monitoring rainfall, floods
Water Requirements Satisfaction Index (WRSI)	8 km	Crop condition monitoring
NDVI(LAC/GAC)	1.1 km / 8 km	Monitoring crops, vegetation
SPOT-4 VGT	1.1 km	Monitoring crops, vegetation
MODIS	250 m	Monitoring crops, vegetation
LANDSAT	30 m	Land cover mapping
ASTER	15 m	Land cover, terrain modelling, vegetation

You can view some of these datasets on our satellite images web page.

Vector datasets are listed here.

The RRSU maintains another website, SADC GeoNetwork node, where you can have more information on available datasets. You can also download some data from that node.

All data are georeferenced. The medium and high resolution datasets (MODIS, ASTER, LANDSAT) are in the GeoTiff format, while the lower resolution datasets are in the IDA format for use with the WinDisp software, which can be obtained from the FAO website.

This database can be abridged to CD-ROM / DVD for distribution.