Dr. Amal Chakhar

Profile

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working on innovation in sustainability, policy, adaptation and resilience in Kenya through the iSPARK project. My research focuses on developing and applying Earth Observation methods, satellite imagery, and machine learning, to address challenges in sustainable agriculture, from crop classification to drought and irrigation monitoring.

I hold a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain (2023). My doctoral research explored the integration of optical and radar satellite data to improve crop classification and soil surface moisture retrieval. Alongside my PhD, I have international training through an MSc in Integrated Planning for Rural Development and Environmental Management (Spain) and an Engineering degree in Horticultural Systems (Tunisia).

Responsibilities

• Contributing to the iSPARK project on sustainability, policy, adaptation, and resilience in Kenya
• Developing innovative methodologies for crop type classification and drought monitoring using Earth

Research interests

• Remote sensing applications in agriculture
• Machine learning and remote sensing for crop classification
• Soil moisture retrieval and evapotranspiration estimation
• Agricultural drought monitoring and early warning systems
• Scaling sustainable and resilient agriculture practices

Qualifications

• PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain (2023)
• MSc in Integrated Planning for Rural Development and Environmental Management – Mediterranean Agrono
• Engineering Degree in Horticultural Systems – University of Sousse, Tunisia (2015)

Professional memberships

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science