Land cover maps for the district of Murewa in Zimbabwe, for the year 2023

This dataset consists of land cover maps for the district of Murewa in Zimbabwe, for the year 2023. The dataset was created as part of the RAIZ (Resilience building through agroecological intensification in Zimbabwe) project FOOD/2021/424- 933 (https://raiz.org.zw/), founded by the European Union. The land cover maps were generated using PlanetScope mosaics provided by the NICFI Program. Monthly mosaics, covering the period from June 2022 to June 2023, are provided at a 5m spatial resolution. A deep learning model based on a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to process the satellite images. The images of the different dates are concatenated, and patches of 17x17 pixels are used as input, with the model predicting the class of the central pixel. This approach enables the model to learn spatial patterns in the images as well as temporal information. The inputs to the model included all available bands (blue, green, red, and near infrared) as well as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Land Use Classes: • Dense Woodlands (0): Areas with a dense canopy where grass is not visible from above. Trees are typically over 2 meters tall. • Cropland (1): Land used for agricultural purposes, including fields and farms for crop cultivation. • Grassland (2): Areas dominated by grass, with occasional shrubs and trees covering less than 20% of the area. These are primarily open grasslands. • Open Woodlands (3): Savanna woodlands with a sparse canopy of trees (over 2 meters tall) and scattered shrubs. • Mineral Soils (4): Rocky areas, including granitic mountains and hills, locally referred to as "Dwalas." • Built-up Surface (5): Urbanized areas that include buildings, roads, and other man-made structures. • Bare soil (6): Areas characterized by exposed earth with minimal to no vegetation • Grassland Vlei (7): Wet grassland areas, typically found in low-lying or floodplain regions, where water accumulates seasonally. • Water (8): Bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and ponds.