Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations for Water Resource Management Applications: A Summary of NASA’s DEVELOP Program and Projects in Central and South America

NASA’s DEVELOP program engages individuals and organizations in 10-week feasibility studies to apply NASA Earth observations (EO) to decision makers’ needs. Since 2018, DEVELOP conducted 21 projects in Central and South America, eight of those in collaboration with Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA) and its member state partner agencies. These projects addressed a diverse set of community needs across multiple themes, including five that explored the use of both spaceborne and airborne EO to assess coastal water quality related to SDG monitoring of natural resources in Belize and Honduras, evaluating evapotranspiration and water balance in Argentina, and characterizing vegetation water use for informed water management in Panama. This poster introduces DEVELOP, its approach to capacity building, key partnerships, and project results highlighting the capabilities of EO for enhanced decision making in the area of sustainable water management.