Client: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Service: Water Productivity Reporting
Sector: International organisations / Agrifood / Water management
Scale: Global to field scale
The challenge
Reliable agricultural water data is critical for addressing global challenges such as water scarcity, food security, and climate change. Yet in many parts of the world, especially in data-scarce regions, decision-makers lack consistent and accurate information on crop water use, evapotranspiration, and agricultural productivity. Traditional ground-based monitoring systems are often limited in coverage, expensive to maintain, or unavailable at the scale required for effective water management.
To support sustainable agricultural development, the FAO WaPOR portal requires high-quality, large-scale, and continuously updated data that can provide actionable insights across different countries and landscapes.
The solution
Terramira plays a key role as data provider for the FAO WaPOR portal by delivering advanced satellite-based information products that support agricultural water monitoring and analysis. Through its expertise in remote sensing technologies, Terramira converts satellite imagery into reliable datasets on evapotranspiration, biomass production, crop water consumption, and water productivity.
Using physical based models and automated processing systems, Terramira ensures that the WaPOR platform receives consistent, accurate, and scalable data across vast geographic regions. We combine satellite observations with meteorological and environmental modelling to generate insights that are both operational and accessible for end users.
An important aspect of the WaPOR platform is its open-source and open-access approach. By contributing data to an openly accessible platform, Terramira helps make high-quality earth observation information available to governments, researchers, NGOs, water authorities, and farmers worldwide. This transparency encourages collaboration, innovation, and wider adoption of data-driven water management practices.
As data provider, Terramira contributes not only technical expertise but also the capacity to deliver continuous monitoring at regional and national scales. This enables the WaPOR portal to offer up-to-date information that supports informed decision-making and sustainable agricultural planning.
Water Productivity Reporting
Case study
High WP · efficient
Good WP
Water stress
Arid · very low
River system
The impact
Our contribution as a data provider strengthens the overall reliability and effectiveness of the FAO WaPOR portal. By supplying accurate and timely earth observation data, Terramira helps create a transparent, open-access, and data-driven foundation for agricultural water management.
The availability of these openly accessible datasets enables stakeholders to monitor water use efficiency, detect areas of water stress, optimize irrigation practices, and improve agricultural productivity. In regions where field measurements are limited, Terramira’s satellite-based approach provides essential visibility into agricultural performance and water consumption.
Through its partnership with FAO, Terramira supports sustainable water management, climate resilience, and improved food production systems. The company’s role as a trusted data provider demonstrates how innovative geospatial technologies and open data can contribute to global efforts in sustainable agriculture and responsible water resource management.
Earth Intelligence that enables action
This project shows Terramira at its best: turning complex satellite data into clear insights that set decisions in motion. Not data for the sake of data, but intelligence directly connected to action. Whether that is a better irrigation decision, a policy recommendation, or a climate report.
Discover what Water Productivity Reporting can do for your organisation.
