Scale-dependent cloud enhancement from land restoration in West African drylands

Ruijsch, Jessica ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6510-7499; Taylor, Christopher M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0120-3198; Hutjes, Ronald W.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7197-0528; Teuling, Adriaan J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4302-2835. 2025 Scale-dependent cloud enhancement from land restoration in West African drylands. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, 174. 11, pp. 10.1038/s43247-025-02154-y

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02154-y

Abstract/Summary

Land restoration projects, including reforestation and area protection, are being implemented across African drylands such as the Sahel. In addition to biodiversity, livelihood and carbon sequestration benefits, restoration can also affect the local climate through land-atmosphere interaction. Yet, it remains unknown to what extent dryland restoration can affect cloud cover development and, ultimately, precipitation. Here, we use twenty years of high-resolution data from the Meteosat Second Generation satellite to study the impact of land restoration on cloud development in West African drylands. Results show that cloud cover frequency and convective initiation are higher above vegetated areas, particularly during the start and end of the wet seasons. Furthermore, we find a more pronounced cloud cover enhancement over protected areas larger than 121 km2, suggesting a scale-dependent relationship between project size and cloud cover development.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/s43247-025-02154-y
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Water and Climate Science (2025-)
ISSN:	2662-4435
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	atmospheric science, environmental sciences
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Meteorology and Climatology Data and Information
Related URLs:	Other
Date made live:	07 Mar 2025 15:07 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539036

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1038/s43247-025-02154-y

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Water and Climate Science (2025-)

ISSN:

2662-4435

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

atmospheric science, environmental sciences