With water security being one of Africa's biggest challenges, ESA's TIGER initiative is using satellite observations to provide local authorities with the information they need to develop this vital resource.

Africa's Lake Chad is the main source of fresh water for over 30 million people in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. It's the main source for the region's irrigation, drinking water for livestock, fishing and supports a rich biodiversity.

Despite seasonal fluctuations, the surface of the Lake Chad has changed enormously in the last decades, with high losses from the 1960s to 1980s, mainly due to climate change and increased human demand for water.