Geodata and statistics / Humanitarian Data Exchange

Africa - Monthly and dekadal Soil Moisture Anomaly (SMA)

The Soil Moisture Anomaly (SMA) dataset provides a measure of deviation in root-zone soil moisture conditions relative to the long-term climatological mean. Generated typically from hydrological models or satellite assimilation systems, this product highlights deficits or surpluses in soil water availability that are critical for agriculture and pastoralism. Because soil moisture integrates rainfall over time and accounts for evapotranspiration losses, SMA offers a more direct indicator of agricultural drought stress than precipitation deficits alone. This dataset is essential for monitoring t…