Pivot irrigation is a common agricultural practice in the aim to nourish the world’s growing population and livestock and found in many places across the world. In Egypt, with its territory largely dominated by the Sahara desert and limited rainfall, irrigation is of particular importance. In this composite image, comparing the same site in March 2014 (left) to February 2016 (right), an expansion with new irrigated fields is obvious. While undoubtedly necessary socio-economically, this comes at a price. North African countries are often united internationally to monitor and control the consumption of underground water resources – acquifers. With the hope of striking a careful balance that benefits both local farmers and households and provides an environmentally sustainable for future generations. As 100m is close to a typical size of these pivot fields in northern Africa, PROBA-V is well placed to assist with their monitoring from space.