Free tools · Measured from space
Surface water in Vhembe
In 2025, Vhembe had 65.9 km² of open water on average, 44.4 km² of it nearly all year. The wettest year since 1984 was 2023 (82.3 km²); the driest 1992 (11.3 km²).
Open water seen on the ground from space: dams, lakes, rivers wide enough to see, pans, wetlands with open water and flooded fields. Each year, the Landsat satellites look at every 30 m spot many times; where the sky is clear, each look says water or not. The average water area counts each spot for the share of its clear looks that were wet. Permanent water was wet in more than 80% of the clear looks; seasonal water was wet at least once but less often than that.
What it isn’t: not how full a dam is (that is the Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly level, by volume), not groundwater, not rain, and not water in pipes or tanks. Narrow rivers, water under trees or bridges and anything smaller than about 30 m are missed. A year with few clear looks (cloud, or the early years when fewer satellites flew) is less sure, and 1988 is missing everywhere because Digital Earth Africa does not have it: a missing year is left out, never counted as dry.
2025
- 65.9 km²Water on average0.26% of the land; 160% of the 1991 to 2020 average (41.2 km²)
- 44.4 km²PermanentWater in more than 80% of the clear looks
- 120 km²SeasonalWet at least once, but not most of the year
- 92%Of the place seenThe share with at least one clear look
The wettest and driest years
- 2023Wettest, 82.3 km²1,022 km² wet at some point
- 1992Driest, 11.3 km²4.15 km² permanent
Among the 40 years in which at least 90% as much of the place was seen as in its best year (1 less well seen year is left out), so a cloudy year cannot pass for a dry one.
Every year since 1984
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 12.9 km² on average, 6.87 km² permanent |
| 1985 | 2.31 km² on average, 2.26 km² permanent |
| 1986 | 19.6 km² on average, 9.85 km² permanent |
| 1987 | 21.0 km² on average, 11.7 km² permanent |
| 1988 | not held |
| 1989 | 19.6 km² on average, 11.6 km² permanent |
| 1990 | 16.0 km² on average, 9.11 km² permanent |
| 1991 | 40.5 km² on average, 12.6 km² permanent |
| 1992 | 11.3 km² on average, 4.15 km² permanent |
| 1993 | 25.0 km² on average, 14.4 km² permanent |
| 1994 | 16.9 km² on average, 6.89 km² permanent |
| 1995 | 22.4 km² on average, 8.97 km² permanent |
| 1996 | 55.1 km² on average, 18.9 km² permanent |
| 1997 | 44.9 km² on average, 26.5 km² permanent |
| 1998 | 26.4 km² on average, 16.8 km² permanent |
| 1999 | 36.1 km² on average, 19.0 km² permanent |
| 2000 | 66.9 km² on average, 38.2 km² permanent |
| 2001 | 50.4 km² on average, 28.4 km² permanent |
| 2002 | 33.5 km² on average, 24.1 km² permanent |
| 2003 | 22.9 km² on average, 14.5 km² permanent |
| 2004 | 42.1 km² on average, 24.2 km² permanent |
| 2005 | 23.5 km² on average, 15.6 km² permanent |
| 2006 | 50.6 km² on average, 34.7 km² permanent |
| 2007 | 38.7 km² on average, 30.5 km² permanent |
| 2008 | 53.8 km² on average, 32.3 km² permanent |
| 2009 | 51.5 km² on average, 31.1 km² permanent |
| 2010 | 51.4 km² on average, 33.9 km² permanent |
| 2011 | 50.4 km² on average, 33.0 km² permanent |
| 2012 | 38.8 km² on average, 25.5 km² permanent |
| 2013 | 55.3 km² on average, 39.7 km² permanent |
| 2014 | 61.7 km² on average, 39.3 km² permanent |
| 2015 | 46.2 km² on average, 31.2 km² permanent |
| 2016 | 32.8 km² on average, 19.8 km² permanent |
| 2017 | 47.3 km² on average, 32.5 km² permanent |
| 2018 | 47.5 km² on average, 30.8 km² permanent |
| 2019 | 42.1 km² on average, 30.0 km² permanent |
| 2020 | 48.8 km² on average, 32.4 km² permanent |
| 2021 | 65.4 km² on average, 41.4 km² permanent |
| 2022 | 75.9 km² on average, 37.7 km² permanent |
| 2023 | 82.3 km² on average, 35.7 km² permanent |
| 2024 | 44.9 km² on average, 29.6 km² permanent |
| 2025 | 65.9 km² on average, 44.4 km² permanent |
| Year | Water on average | Permanent | Seasonal | Wet at some point | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65.9 km² | 44.4 km² | 120 km² | 165 km² | 92% |
| 2024 | 44.9 km² | 29.6 km² | 161 km² | 190 km² | 92% |
| 2023 | 82.3 km² | 35.7 km² | 986 km² | 1,022 km² | 93% |
| 2022 | 75.9 km² | 37.7 km² | 586 km² | 624 km² | 93% |
| 2021 | 65.4 km² | 41.4 km² | 233 km² | 275 km² | 93% |
| 2020 | 48.8 km² | 32.4 km² | 168 km² | 200 km² | 92% |
| 2019 | 42.1 km² | 30.0 km² | 170 km² | 200 km² | 92% |
| 2018 | 47.5 km² | 30.8 km² | 249 km² | 280 km² | 92% |
| 2017 | 47.3 km² | 32.5 km² | 153 km² | 185 km² | 92% |
| 2016 | 32.8 km² | 19.8 km² | 150 km² | 170 km² | 92% |
| 2015 | 46.2 km² | 31.2 km² | 202 km² | 233 km² | 92% |
| 2014 | 61.7 km² | 39.3 km² | 140 km² | 179 km² | 92% |
| 2013 | 55.3 km² | 39.7 km² | 141 km² | 181 km² | 92% |
| 2012 | 38.8 km² | 25.5 km² | 54.6 km² | 80.1 km² | 92% |
| 2011 | 50.4 km² | 33.0 km² | 68.9 km² | 102 km² | 92% |
| 2010 | 51.4 km² | 33.9 km² | 64.8 km² | 98.6 km² | 92% |
| 2009 | 51.5 km² | 31.1 km² | 82.7 km² | 114 km² | 92% |
| 2008 | 53.8 km² | 32.3 km² | 121 km² | 154 km² | 92% |
| 2007 | 38.7 km² | 30.5 km² | 48.4 km² | 78.9 km² | 92% |
| 2006 | 50.6 km² | 34.7 km² | 83.7 km² | 118 km² | 92% |
| 2005 | 23.5 km² | 15.6 km² | 63.0 km² | 78.5 km² | 92% |
| 2004 | 42.1 km² | 24.2 km² | 108 km² | 132 km² | 92% |
| 2003 | 22.9 km² | 14.5 km² | 30.5 km² | 45.0 km² | 92% |
| 2002 | 33.5 km² | 24.1 km² | 66.6 km² | 90.7 km² | 92% |
| 2001 | 50.4 km² | 28.4 km² | 79.3 km² | 108 km² | 92% |
| 2000 | 66.9 km² | 38.2 km² | 148 km² | 186 km² | 92% |
| 1999 | 36.1 km² | 19.0 km² | 81.6 km² | 101 km² | 92% |
| 1998 | 26.4 km² | 16.8 km² | 47.4 km² | 64.2 km² | 92% |
| 1997 | 44.9 km² | 26.5 km² | 57.3 km² | 83.8 km² | 92% |
| 1996 | 55.1 km² | 18.9 km² | 107 km² | 126 km² | 92% |
| 1995 | 22.4 km² | 8.97 km² | 84.8 km² | 93.8 km² | 92% |
| 1994 | 16.9 km² | 6.89 km² | 47.1 km² | 54.0 km² | 92% |
| 1993 | 25.0 km² | 14.4 km² | 69.1 km² | 83.6 km² | 92% |
| 1992 | 11.3 km² | 4.15 km² | 39.5 km² | 43.7 km² | 92% |
| 1991 | 40.5 km² | 12.6 km² | 156 km² | 168 km² | 92% |
| 1990 | 16.0 km² | 9.11 km² | 35.7 km² | 44.8 km² | 92% |
| 1989 | 19.6 km² | 11.6 km² | 41.0 km² | 52.6 km² | 92% |
| 1987 | 21.0 km² | 11.7 km² | 25.7 km² | 37.4 km² | 88% |
| 1986 | 19.6 km² | 9.85 km² | 54.1 km² | 63.9 km² | 92% |
| 1985 | 2.31 km² | 2.26 km² | 0.10 km² | 2.36 km² | 4% |
| 1984 | 12.9 km² | 6.87 km² | 24.2 km² | 31.1 km² | 92% |
A year missing from the table is one Digital Earth Africa does not have for this place (1988 everywhere, 1985 in some places).
Every municipality, ranked · Everything we hold for Vhembe · On the explore map
Source
Measured from space by the American Landsat satellites: not a survey on the ground.
Credits and how we worked this out
Water Observations from Space, Digital Earth Africa (CC BY 4.0), modified: we counted each 30 m pixel over every 2026 ward and added the wards up into municipalities, districts and provinces. Under CC BY 4.0, from the AWS Registry of Open Data.
Landsat imagery courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mueller, N. and others (2016): Water observations from space: mapping surface water from 25 years of Landsat imagery across Australia, Remote Sensing of Environment 174, 341 to 352.
Dataset: surface water by ward, release of 12 November 2026.