The role of the land surface in Sahelian climate: HAPEX-Sahel results and future research needs

This paper summarizes the results of HAPEX-Sahel presented in this Special Issue to produce a broad picture of the role land surface processes play in determining Sahelian climate. It highlights key achievements in the field of rainfall analysis, surface hydrology, surface energy and carbon balance, and large-scale meteorology and remote sensing. It discusses further research needed to understand the role of the land surface in the Sahel and makes some suggestions as to how to approach this problem through further modelling and data analysis, making use of the increased understanding produced by HAPEX-Sahel.