Assessment of Bahr el Ghazal Swamps Characteristics in South Sudan Using Remote Sensing Technique

Precipitation of 1200-1400 mm in the upper Bahr el Ghazal Basin is the highest in South Sudan and generates a number of seasonal tributaries. The tributaries of Bahr al-Ghazal are lost in the swampy area, and only about half a billion of them reach the White Nile each year. Due to the political instability in the region, it is extremely difficult delineate and estimate to the wetlands in-situ. Remote sensing techniques are essential in providing the most up-to-date spatial-temporal information for wetland investigation and characterization. An analysis of satellite imagery datasets is presented in this paper, in order to evaluate the Bahr el Ghazal swamps over a six-year period between 2014 and 2019. The size of wetlands varies greatly in response to seasonal and interannual changes in inflows. The findings showed that the areas flooded from each tributary were actually quite separate, and not a continuous swamp. Papyrus and herbaceous vegetation dominate the flooded areas. Minimum wetland area is noticed in May and June at the end of the dry season and the maximum is noticed in November and December at the end of the wet season. The mean annual wetland area in Bahr el Ghazal during the study period was 7158 km(2).