Remote Sensing for Environmental Assessment in the Context of Humanitarian Emergencies: A Case Study of Ethiopia, Gambella Region, in Africa

The main goal of this study is to use remote sensing techniques to analyse significant environmental changes relatable to refugee camp settlements over a specific time period. Satellite imagery can be crucial when approaching humanitarian emergencies, as it is an independent, open-access, and reliable source of information, especially when field accessibility is limited. The Gambela region in Ethiopia has been chosen as area of study, having rich natural resources but also hosting the largest refugee population in the country. Both optical and radar imageries have been investigated with the intent to obtain significant outcomes that could support camp policies and management. C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) from Copernicus Sentinel-1 was revealed to be a good alternative to overcome the limitations found in interpreting USGS Landsat-8, Level 2, Collection 2 optical imagery. The study found a correlation between the trend of SAR backscatter values, which represent the presence of buildings and shelters, and refugee population growth.