Supporting better decisions across the nexus of water-energy-food challenges using Earth Observation: Case of the Zambezi F.F. Gomo1, C.J.A. Macleod2, J. Rowan1, J. Yeluripati2, and K. Topp3 1. School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, UK 2. The James Hutton Institute 3. Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Email: f.f.gomo@dundee.ac.uk www.crew.ac.uk/hydro-nationscholar Background The water-energy-food nexus concept has emerged as a unifying idea across sectors for integrated policy planning and implementation. The concept can be used to support decisions that inspire transformative action towards achievement of SDGs, especially in sub-Saharan Africa The main aim is to examine the linkages across WEF sectors in the Zambezi river basin and support decision and policy making that maximises on synergies and minimises trade-offs. Zambezi basin land cover change maps 1992 2004 2015 Zambezi squared difference (2015-1992)2] Project Framework Changes in land cover area (in sq km) Land Cover change analysis (1992-2015) Aim: to understand changes in land cover over the Zambezi catchment and explore driving factors Justification: need to understand patterns in land use change and explore relationships with national and local level decisions in the water, energy and food sectors Methods: Used European Space Agency (ESA) global land cover dataset, Analysed using Google Earth Engine and ArcGIS 10.5 Problem framing using DPSIR Land cover change results Land cover changes in the Zambezi basin have been mainly occurring in the eastern (Malawi and Mozambique) and southern (Zimbabwe and Zambia) parts of the basin There was a gain in cropland area by 15.98 % and a loss of tree cover of 4.57 %. The land area lost in forest cover (32 000 sq km) almost equals the land area gained in cropland (29 000 sq km), suggesting forest conversion to cropland during study period Urban areas were found to be the most dynamic land cover type in the basin, increasing steadily throughout the study period, and increasing by more than 100 % since 1992 Next Steps Annual national data on key indicators Analysis of trends on the key indicators Catchment scale data collection and analysis System Dynamics modelling Options analysis and options evaluation using multi-criteria analysis Acknowledgements HydroNation Scholars Programme, Dr Mark Cutler