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Water for Food Supply

Water for Food Production: Irrigation Planning with Sentinel-2 and WhiteboxTools

Water is essential for healthy crop growth, but how do you determine where and when irrigation is truly needed? In this blended learning course, you’ll discover how to use Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, WhiteboxTools, and QGIS to analyze irrigation challenges and make informed decisions. You’ll learn to combine data on vegetation, soil, and terrain to gain valuable insights that contribute to more efficient water use and more sustainable agricultural practices.

Introduction to Water for Food Security: Irrigation Planning with Sentinel-2 and WhiteboxTools

Efficient water use is essential for sustainable agriculture and a reliable food supply. Due to climate change and increasing drought, it is becoming increasingly important to precisely tailor irrigation to the water needs of crops. Using GIS and satellite data, agricultural areas can be continuously monitored, and irrigation can be planned in a targeted manner.

In this blended learning course, you’ll learn how to analyze irrigation issues using QGIS, WhiteboxTools, and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. You’ll combine vegetation indices, soil information, and terrain analyses to gain insight into crop condition, soil moisture, and water use. Based on these spatial analyses, you’ll determine where irrigation is needed and where water can be used more efficiently.

During hands-on assignments, you’ll work with up-to-date satellite data and open-source analysis tools. You’ll learn to analyze vegetation, use terrain models, and combine geospatial information to develop practical recommendations for irrigation planning and sustainable water management.

Upon completion, you’ll have the skills to apply satellite imagery and GIS in precision agriculture, irrigation management, and sustainable food production.

What will you learn in this Blended Learning course?

During this blended learning course, you’ll learn how remote sensing and GIS are used to optimize irrigation and water use in agriculture. You’ll develop practical skills in processing, analyzing, and interpreting satellite data for water management.

You’ll start by downloading and preparing Sentinel-2 satellite images. Next, you’ll learn to calculate and analyze vegetation indices to gain insight into crop condition and spatial variation within agricultural plots.

Afterward, you’ll use WhiteboxTools to perform terrain analyses and combine elevation data, soil information, and vegetation data to create a comprehensive picture of water needs within a given area. You’ll learn to identify irrigation zones and translate the results into practical applications for sustainable water use.

Upon completion, you will be able to independently process satellite data, analyze irrigation issues, and develop spatial insights that contribute to efficient and sustainable agriculture.

Why choose this Blended Learning course on Water for Food Security?

This blended learning program combines flexible online learning with hands-on assignments in which you work with current Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and open-source GIS software. You’ll not only learn the theory behind remote sensing and irrigation planning but also apply it directly to realistic datasets.

During the online modules, you’ll develop skills in analyzing vegetation, terrain, and water use. In the guided sessions, you’ll receive personalized guidance and learn how GIS and satellite data are used to plan irrigation more efficiently and make agricultural systems more sustainable.

Upon completion, you’ll be able to independently conduct geospatial analyses for irrigation planning, precision agriculture, and sustainable water management, converting satellite data into practical, actionable information.

Enroll

€395,-
  • Start: 1-hour online session
  • Self-study: Review course materials
  • End: 1-hour online session
Register for this course

You’ll receive 1-on-1 guidance. After signing up, our course coordinator will contact you to schedule your first session.

Learning Objectives

  • Processing and analyzing Sentinel-2 satellite images for applications in irrigation planning and water management.
  • Calculating and interpreting vegetation indices to assess crop condition and the water needs of agricultural areas.
  • Using WhiteboxTools and QGIS to perform terrain, soil, and geospatial analyses to support efficient irrigation and sustainable water use.
  • Create professional maps and spatial analyses that contribute to precision agriculture, irrigation management, and sustainable food supply.

Want to know more?

Do you have questions about the course content? Or are you unsure whether the course aligns with your learning goals or preferences? Would you prefer an in-house or private course? We’d be happy to help.

FAQs on Blended Learning: Water for Food Supply

Sentinel-2 is a European Earth observation program under the Copernicus mission that provides free multispectral satellite imagery. These images are widely used to monitor vegetation, soil, and water use, and serve as an important source of information for irrigation planning and precision agriculture.

WhiteboxTools is an open-source toolkit for geospatial and hydrological analyses. In this blended learning course, you will use WhiteboxTools to perform terrain analyses and combine satellite data with elevation and soil information to better assess irrigation issues.

No, experience with remote sensing is not required. However, a basic knowledge of QGIS is recommended. You will learn, step by step, how satellite images are processed, analyzed, and applied in irrigation planning and sustainable water management.

The techniques used in this blended learning program are applied in agriculture, water management, precision agriculture, research, and climate adaptation. You will learn how satellite data and GIS can be used to plan irrigation more efficiently, monitor crops, and optimize water use.