Traoré Fié, a doctoral student at the Laboratoire d’études et recherches sur les milieux et les territoires (LERMIT) at the Université Joseph KI-ZERBO in Ouagadougou, is involved in our LANDSURF project (funded by the BMBF via WASCAL as part of WASCAL II) while pursuing his doctoral studies. His research interests focus on the application of remote sensing to analyse vegetation cover dynamics, land degradation and landscape fragmentation in South-West Burkina Faso in the context of climate change and anthropogenic pressure.

Traoré’s current work is on the exploration of satellite data on land use / land cover (LULC) using remote sensing technics, and the analysis of the perception of the local population to the change in LULC. It aims to determine the factors underlying land use and vegetation cover changes, and to project potential future changes in western Burkina Faso in order to guide decision-makers in their efforts to combat land degradation and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Traoré will stay with us for for two month.