In November 2005 an ESA funded airborne campaign was conducted in Southern Tunisia to generate a data base of high resolution optical and radar data in support of science product development with respect to water management applications in semi-arid areas. Both the optical (AVIS of LMU) and radar sensor (E-SAR of DLR) were operated quasi-simultaneously from the same aircraft. In parallel a ground measurement campaign was conducted with the support of the Tunisian organisations CRDA (Commissariat Regional des Development Agricole) and IRA (Institut des Regiones Arides). This paper describes the acquired optical, radar, and ground reference data, the adopted processing methodologies as well as the results obtained in the frame of this project from the radar data.