Sani Idris Garba

Profile

Project overview

Africa is thought to have some of the most productive wetland ecosystems in the world (Metz 2017). Many of these wetlands have been occupied by humans for millennia (e.g. Niger Inland Delta) (Junk et al. 2013), and in some cases they are the exclusive source of natural resources upon which rural economies depend, providing food and energy, medicine, building material, dry season grazing, and transportation for large human populations (Metz 2017). Most of these wetlands are threatened by economic and financial pressures, due to demographic growth, rising poverty and severe economic stress (François et al. 2005; Mitchell 2013; Schuijt 2002). This is furthermore compounded with drought and the conflict between private land ownership and public benefits (Schuijt 2002). The degradation of African wetlands can have a major impact on human wellbeing, and the effects of climate change which cannot be delinked from the human activities that take place in and around wetlands (Mitchell, 2013). As such, the threats to wetlands are from a complex mix of factors rather than from a single source. Despite the noted importance of wetlands to the local communities of Africa, information about these wetlands is far from complete.

There is a need to improve the knowledge of the current wetland extent and changes in wetland areas of Africa.  Quite a vast area of wetlands has been recently discovered in Africa (Dargie et al. 2017) and so it is important to try to map these ecosystems using a range of techniques to get a complete picture of wetland area in Africa. An improved wetland map is urgently needed for Africa to support change detection, better incorporation of African wetlands into global climate models, build economic assessments of wetland ecosystem service provision and to support decision-making by regional and international bodies seeking to protect wetland systems.

The overall aim of the study is to map and assess the extent and degradation of wetlands in Africa by employing the spectral indices, Independent Component Analysis techniques, using the synergy of multi-sensor data. To achieve the general aim of the research, the following objectives are proposed:

• To produce the first continental-scale, wetland map of Africa.
• To investigate the potential of multi-source data for improving the mapping of wetlands in Africa. This involves the use of optical data to map the wetland extent and refining the mapping results using SAR data.
• To evaluate the optimal method for wetland mapping in Africa. This involves the correlation of different approaches using different datasets and the use of the Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform to generate custom codes in order to discriminate wetland classes as standard land cover products.
• To identify and assess the rate and type of changes in wetland area and types that have occurred over the past three decades for selected case studies.
• To investigate potential major causes of changes over time in relation to nearby land use and land cover for selected case studies.

 Funding

Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

Workshop and training attended

• Starting your Research Degree 
• Introduction to R for Spatial Analysis 
• Time Management for your Research Degree  
• School Postgraduate conference                                                                     
• Proofreading                                                              
• Foundation in teaching                                                                                
• Introduction to JavaScript online                                                                 
• Excel training part 1                                                                                    
• Risk Assessment    
• Climate Change Adaptation- Sensitization Seminar.
• Two day National Workshop on Recent Advances in Satellite Image Processing and its Applications. (RASIP)-                   

PAPERS PRESENTED
“Mapping of hydrothermal altered mineral zones by multispectral and hyperspectral data
analysis”, a case study of Bauchi State, Nigeria. 2nd International Conference on Earth
Science and Engineering. 20th-21 March 2015 at Nehru Institute of technology, Coimbatore
India.
“Implementation of Geospatial Technology in Developing Nations” Research Day SRM
University India 28th February 2014.
“Exploration of altered mineral zones using multispectral and hyperspectral data analysis in
Benue trough, Nigeria”.Research Day 27th February 2015 SRM University India.

PUBLICATION
Sani Idris Garba and Aparna Bhaskar “Mapping of hydrothermal altered mineral zones using
multispectral and hyperspectral data analysis”, a case study of Bauchi State, Nigeria. ISSN
09745904, Volume 08, NO 02 International Journal of Earth Science and Engineering 2015.

AWARD
Best paper award at 2nd International Conference on Earth Science and Engineering. 20th-
21st March 2015 at Nehru Institute of technology, Coimbatore India.

Qualifications

• M.TECH Remote sensing and G I S, SRM University Chennai, INDIA
• B.s.c Geography Bayero University Kano, Nigeria