Earth Sciences
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Research is organized in the broad fields of Environmental Water & Science and Applied Geology. The main research areas are in Petroleum Geology, Economic Geology/ Exploration Geochemistry, Tectonic Evolution, Integrated Water Resource Management and Groundwater studies under the leadership of the UNESCO Chair.
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Multispectral remote sensing of wetlands in semi-arid and arid areas: A review on applications, challenges and possible future research directions
(Remote Sensing, 2022)Wetlands are ranked as very diverse ecosystems, covering about 4–6% of the global land surface. They occupy the transition zones between aquatic and terrestrial environments, and share characteristics of both zones. Wetlands ... -
Impacts of climate variability and drought on surface water resources in sub-saharan africa using remote sensing: A review
(Remote Sensing, 2022)Climate variability and recurrent droughts have caused remarkable strain on water resources in most regions across the globe, with the arid and semi-arid areas being the hardest hit. The impacts have been notable on surface ... -
Trends in elephant poaching in the Mid-Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe: Lessons learnt and future outlook
(African Journal of Ecology, 2023)Background: The conservation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) has important ecological, economical, cultural and aesthetic values, at both local and global levels (Pittiglio et al., 2014). Despite the important ... -
The use of stable isotopes to identify surface water–groundwater interaction in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
(South African Water Research Commission, 2023)The role of groundwater, in general, is often overlooked in freshwater ecosystem management policies and in the management of South Africa’s flagship conservation area, the Kruger National Park (KNP). To address this gap, ... -
Modelling the distribution of the invasive Ziziphus mauritiana along road corridors in Zimbabwe
(Wiley, 2019)We investigate how human fruit consumption affects the spread of the alien invasive Ziziphus mauritiana along road corridors in northern Zimbabwe. A field survey was conducted to identify and map Z. Mauritiana stems at ... -
Two pulses of Mesoproterozoic intra-plate magmatism in the heart of the Palaeoproterozoic Ubendian Domain of northern Malawi
(Elsevier, 2023)Two Mesoproterozoic anorogenic igneous events are recorded in the Palaeoproterozoic Ubendian Domain in northern Malawi. The oldest is represented by the Mwakikome orthogneiss, a small peraluminous, sub-alkaline and ferroan ... -
Investigating seawater intrusion in republic of South Africa’s heuningnes, Cape Agulhas using hydrogeochemistry and seawater fraction techniques
(MDPI, 2023)The Heuningnes Catchment in the Republic of South Africa was used as a case study in this research to describe the application of saltwater fraction/quantification and hydrogeochemistry methods to evaluate the extent of ... -
Impacts of the spatial configuration of built-up areas and urban vegetation on land surface temperature using spectral and local spatial autocorrelation indices
(Remote Sensing Letters, 2022)Understanding how the spatial configuration of land cover patterns of built-up areas and urban vegetation affect urban surface temperatures is crucial for improving the sustainability of cities as well as optimizing urban ... -
Correction: sibanda et al. application of drone technologies in surface water resources monitoring and assessment: a systematic review of progress, challenges, and opportunities in the global south. drones 2021, 5, 84
(Drones, 2022)In the original publication [1], “Fahad Alawadi. Detection of surface algal blooms using the newly developed algorithm surface algal bloom index (SABI)”, “Proc. SPIE 7825, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, and Large ... -
Landuse and landcover change assessment in the Upper Runde sub-catchment, Zimbabwe and possible impacts on reservoir sedimentation
(Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2022)This work assesses land cover changes on the Upper Runde sub-catchment, Zimbabwe, and associated effects on sedimentation rates and risks. The model was implemented using the common Geographic Information Systems tools. ... -
Spatio–temporal variation of vegetation heterogeneity in groundwater dependent ecosystems within arid environments
(Ecological Informatics, 2022)Climate change, land cover change and the over–abstraction of groundwater threaten the existence of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems (GDE), despite these environments being regarded as biodiversity hotspots. The vegetation ... -
Mapping rangeland ecosystems vulnerability to Lantana camarainvasion in semi-arid savannahs in South Africa
(Journal of Ecology, 2022)We mapped and modelled the potential areas vulnerable to Lantana camara (L. camara) invasion in semi-arid savannah ecosystems in the communal lands of Bushbuckridge and Kruger National Park, South Africa. Specifically, we ... -
Local community attitudes and perceptions towards benefits and challenges associated with biodiversity conservation in Blouberg Nature Reserve, South Africa
(Journal of Ecology, 2022)This study assessed the benefits and challenges associated with local community involvement in biodiversity conservation in the Blouberg Nature Reserve (BNR) of South Africa. To achieve this, a descriptive research design ... -
Impacts of eco-environmental quality, spatial configuration, and landscape connectivity of urban vegetation patterns on seasonal land surface temperature in Harare metropolitan city, Zimbabwe
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)The study examined the impact of eco-environmental quality conditions, spatial configurations and landscape connectivity of urban vegetation on seasonal land surface temperature (LST) in Harare, Zimbabwe between May and ... -
Remote sensing of land use-land cover change and climate variability on hydrological processes in Sub-Saharan Africa: Key scientific strides and challenges
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)The impact of land use land cover (LULC) change and climatevariability on water resources poses as a major threat in semi-aridenvironments, especially in the sub-Saharan Africa. Countries insub-Saharan Africa are vulnerable ... -
Use of multi-source remotely sensed data in monitoring the spatial distribution of pools and pool dynamics along non-perennial rivers in semi-arid environments, South Africa
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)This study explored the use of multi-source remotely sensed data in monitoring the spatial distribution of pools and pool dynamics in two distinct semi-arid sites in South Africa. The factors that control the pool ... -
Spectral classification, mapping and physical habitat implications of a riparian invasion by Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. in the Touws River, Klein Karoo, South Africa
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)This paper investigates the invasion of a reach of the Touws River by the deciduous alien tree Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. (Pink Tamarisk, Saltcedar). The objectives of the paper were to investigate ... -
Advancements in the satellite sensing of the impacts of climate and variability on bush encroachment in savannah rangelands
(Elsevier, 2022)An increase in shrubs or woody species is likely, directly or indirectly, to significantly affect rural livelihoods, wildlife/livestock productivity and conservation efforts. Poor and inappropriate land use management ... -
Review of the current models and approaches used for maize crop yield forecasting in sub-Saharan Africa, and their potential use in early warning systems
(Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2022)Agriculture is the mainstay of many developing economies, and successful production is intricately linked to food security, economic development, and regional stability. Estimates of crop yield for strategic grain crops, ... -
Remotely sensed applications in monitoring the spatio-temporal dynamics of pools and flows along non-perennial rivers: A review
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2022)Non-perennial rivers (NPRs) account for more than 50% of the world’s river network and their occurrence is expanding. Some rivers that were previously classified as perennial have evolved to be NPRs in response to climate ...