THIS PROJECT PURSUES FOUR OBJECTIVES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO EFFORTS WITHIN THE COUNTRIES OF BENIN AND GHANA TO REACH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 15. OBJECTIVE #1 IS TO CO-DESIGN EVALUATE AND RECOMMEND AN IMPROVED CAPABILITY WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA TO USE SATELLITE-BASED REMOTE SENSING DATA TO MONITOR ILLEGAL GOLD MINING AND RESULTING DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION. OBJECTIVE #2 IS TO CO-DESIGN EVALUATE AND RECOMMEND AN IMPROVED CAPABILITY WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN TO USE SATELLITE-BASED REMOTE SENSING TO MONITOR AND MANAGE TERRESTRIAL FORESTS AND MANGROVES. OBJECTIVE #3 IS TO DEPLOY AND EVALUATE AN OPERATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES A REGIONAL OBSERVATORY OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES FOR SOUTHERN BENIN REPUBLIC IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIRM CALLED GREEN KEEPER AFRICA BASED IN BENIN. OBJECTIVE #4 IS TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE METHODS THAT TEAMS FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF GHANA AND BENIN CAN USE TO INCLUDE CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS IN FOREST AND INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT FOCUSING ON VARIABILITY IN SEA LEVEL. THIS WORK CONTRIBUTES TO SDG TARGETS 15.1 15.2 AND 15.8. THE PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF INDICATORS 15.1.1 (FOREST AREA) 15.2.1 (FOREST MANAGEMENT) AND 15.8.1 (CONTROL OF INVASIVE SPECIES). THIS PROPOSAL IS DESIGNED IN RESPONSE TO MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FACING GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN BENIN AND GHANA. IN GHANA THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZES ENDING ILLEGAL GOLD MINING AND REMEDIATING THE DEGRADATION IT CAUSES IN FORESTS SOIL AND TERRESTRIAL WATERWAYS. IN BENIN THE GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF TERRESTRIAL AND COASTAL FORESTS; THEY IDENTIFIED A NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR TECHNIQUES FOR LAND USE MAPPING AND FIRE MONITORING TO INFORM FOREST MANAGEMENT POLICIES. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE BENIN NATIONAL CENTER FOR REMOTE SENSING AND ECOLOGICAL MONITORING TO ENHANCE TECHNIQUES FOR FOREST MAPPING AND FIRE MONITORING. WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH A PRIVATE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CALLED GREEN KEEPER AFRICA (GKA) THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE WATER HYACINTH THAT ENDANGER THE LIVELIHOOD AND TRANSPORTATION OF LOW-INCOME VILLAGERS. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH GREEN KEEPER AFRICA TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AN OBSERVATORY OF INVASIVE SPECIES THAT MAPS THE LOCATION OF THE INVASIVE WATER HYACINTH AND PUBLISHES THIS INFORMATION FOR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC USERS. GREEN KEEPER AFRICA HELPS CONTROL THE INFESTATION OF WATER HYACINTH BY HARVESTING IT AND CONVERTING IT INTO A PRODUCT THAT ABSORBS OIL-BASED INDUSTRIAL WASTE. ECOLOGICAL FORECASTING METHODS INCLUDING LAND USE LAND COVER ANALYSIS FOREST BIOMASS ESTIMATION FOREST HEALTH MONITORING VEGETATED WETLAND MAPPING AND FIRE MAPPING USING SATELLITE DATA ALL PLAY A ROLE TO MEET THE NEEDS FACING THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN GHANA AND BENIN. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT HARNESSES PREVIOUS RESEARCH METHODS DEVELOPED BY THE NASA GODDARD CO-INVESTIGATORS (FATOYINBO AND LAGOMASINO) TO USE REMOTE SENSING DATA FROM A SUITE OF SPACEBORNE SOURCES SUCH AS LANDSAT DIGITAL GLOBE SENTINEL 1 AND 2 TANDEMX AND THE UPCOMING GEDI MISSION TO MONITOR FORESTS AND INVASIVE WATER PLANTS. THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE TEAMS IN GHANA AND BENIN ARE ALSO AWARE THAT THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE WITH ENDING ILLEGAL GOLD MINING MANAGING TERRESTRIAL FORESTS AND CONTROLLING INVASIVE SPECIES WILL BE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE VARIABILITY. THUS THE WORK UNDER OBJECTIVE #4 EXAMINES THE EFFECT OF SEA LEVEL RISE ON COASTAL FORESTS AND INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES; THIS PROJECT COMPONENT ALSO CONSIDERS HOW LAND COVER AND CLIMATE SHIFTS WILL INFLUENCE THE PREVALENCE OF FIRES AND THE HEALTH OF FORESTS.