Satellite-Detected Flood Extents in Mozambique, March 2022

237 square kilometers of land appear flooded in Maganja da Costa, Moaquival, and Namacurra Districts, Mozambique, based on a radar satellite image from 15 March 2022. The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) produced this preliminary analysis, estimating about 22,600 people potentially exposed to the floodwaters. This map illustrates surface waters detected within an analyzed area of approximately 1500 km².

Use Cases

• Assessing flood impact on population centers based on WorldPop population data and detected water extents.
• Validating and refining flood models using satellite-derived surface water observations.
• Planning humanitarian aid distribution by identifying flooded areas and nearby exposed populations.
• Monitoring environmental changes post-cyclone using time-series satellite imagery analysis.

Strengths

• Provides specific flood extent measurements (237 km²) and population exposure estimates (22,600 people).
• Includes a defined spatial analysis area of about 1500 km².
• Data is sourced from a United Nations operational satellite center (UNOSAT).

Limitations

• The analysis is preliminary and has not been validated in the field.
• Radar-based flood detection may underestimate water in built-up and densely vegetated areas.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)

Collection Method

Analysis of satellite radar (RCM-1) imagery.

Time Range

Observation from 15 March 2022.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-03 10:45:35.359472; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Maganja da Costa, Moaquival and Namacurra Districts, Zambezia Province, Mozambique.