Demystifying Earth Observation Through Co-Creation Pathways for Flood Resilience in African Informal Cities

This study explores how demystifying Earth Observation (EO) through co-creation path-16 ways and local language can enhance flood resilience and environmental governance in 17 African informal cities. Using case studies from Maiduguri and Hadejia, Nigeria, the re-18 search employed a transdisciplinary mixed-methods design combining rapid evidence as-19 sessment, surveys, participatory workshops (n = 50 stakeholders) integrating simplified 20 Sentinel-1/2 demonstrations, indigenous knowledge mapping, and pre-/post-engagement 21 surveys. Participants (non-experts) were trained to interpret satellite data in both Hausa 22 and English, linking distant teleconnections with local flood experiences. Findings re-23 vealed significant gains in EO literacy and improvements in interpretive confidence, gen-24 der-inclusive participation, and policy engagement. The use of local learning process en-25 abled participants to translate technical EO concepts into locally meaningful narratives, 26 fostering cognitive empowerment and practical application in flood preparedness and ad-27 vocacy. The study demonstrates that data democratization is not only a matter of open 28 access but also of open understanding. It advances a conceptual model linking Demysti-29 fication, Literacy, Empowerment, Co-Production and Resilience, positioning EO as a so-30 cial technology that bridges scientific and indigenous knowledge systems. The findings 31 contribute to debates on decolonizing environmental science and propose a participatory 32 framework for integrating EO into community-based adaptation, legal accountability, and 33 policy reform across Africa’s rapidly urbanizing landscapes.