Workshop on Earth Observation for Irrigation Mapping in Kenya (IrrEO Project)

About the IrrEO Project

Earth Observation (EO) technologies present a transformative opportunity to address these challenges by providing timely, scalable, and cost-effective data on irrigated areas, crop conditions, and water use dynamics. Globally, EO is increasingly being integrated into agricultural monitoring systems; however, in Kenya, its operational uptake remains limited. The key barriers include the following:

• Limited technical capacity to process and interpret Earth observation data 
• Lack of user-centered design in EO tools 
• Institutional and workflow integration challenges 
• Data accessibility and interoperability issues 
• Concerns around data reliability and trust 

The IrrEO Project, led by the University of Manchester is supported by the Gates Foundation, will develop national-scale irrigation mapping data and capacity in three countries – Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria – between September 2025 and August 2029. Specifically, the project seeks to address these challenges by developing user-oriented EO-based tools for irrigation mapping. In Kenya, the University of Manchester is in partnership with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), A core principle of the project is co-development with stakeholders, ensuring that solutions are: 

• Demand-driven 
• Policy-relevant 
• Technically feasible 
• Socially inclusive and ethically sound 
This workshop is therefore designed as a multi-stakeholder platform to align Earth 
Observation innovations with Kenya’s policy priorities and practical irrigation needs. 

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