Satellite-Based Rainfall Estimation

Rain fall is a key climatic element considered as the most important factor that influencing our earth and commonly the Ethiopian agriculture. It is also principal cause of droughts and flood triggered by the spatial and temporal rainfall variation, fluctuation and excess of rainfall, and extreme events. In this respect, the development of remote sensing technology and GIS application which are now able to manage the satellite¿based rainfall estimates by giving answer for specific complain such as-stations do not adequately reflect the various climatic zones of the country, unevenly distribution of gauge networking system, establishing dense network is not economically viable, poor accuracy and missing of gauge readings and records, and so on.These problems can be alleviated only through the use of satellite data. This book, therefore, provides the evaluation and characterization approach of satellite rainfall data, the fact that satellite derived data is continuous in space and could be obtained regularly has made it very useful for understanding of such situations and integration of this knowledge into planning and decision making process.