The uncertain political situation in Somalia has hampered relief efforts and sent thousands fleeing to border countries, such as Ethiopia.
In an effort to support the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief work on the ground, Germany’s space agency has created maps of the regions in Ethiopia where refugee camps have sprung up. The maps are based on Landsat 5 data and are supplemented with vector data from various sources.
Source: German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Further Information:
+ Famine in East Africa, Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information, DRL [external link]
+ UN: DLR/ZKI produces Geographic Reference Maps to Support Relief Response to the Famine in East Africa [external link]

Above the Earth, Below the Surface: Landsat’s Role in Monitoring Water Quality
Safeguarding freshwater resources is crucial, and while scientists use a variety of ground-based techniques to gauge water quality, the Landsat program has provided water quality data from orbit for decades.