TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

 Active fire events and thermal hotspots are shown in this instant app. They are produced from VIIRS satellite sensors.  The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a sensor aboard various Earth-observing satellites, including the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) series. VIIRS is designed to observe a wide range of environmental phenomena, including thermal hotspots and fire activity on Earth.  VIIRS can detect thermal hotspots and fire activity both during the day and at night owing to its ability to measure thermal emissions. This is particularly useful for monitoring wildfires that may continue to burn after the sun has set. These hotspots focus on the region in and around Lesotho. This app will help you identify fire activities, their radiative power( a measure of the energy released by a fire that can be used to estimate the fire's intensity) , locations, and time of occurrence. With this a...

Study Area Fig. 1: Map of Lower Senqunyane Subcatchment in Lesotho Methodology In this study, I used Sentinel-2 multi-temporal satellite imagery data which was processed and analyzed using JavaScript Application Programming Interface(API) in the Google Earth Engine(GEE) platform. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was computed from the Sentinel 2A multispectral instrument using the following formula;   Where NIR = Band 8(B8) and Red = Band 4(B4) in Sentinel 2 satellite imagery. I used Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station  (CHIRPS) datasets for  rainfall.  Reference evapotranspiration (RET) , defined as the evapotranspiration from a hypothetical reference crop  simulating the behaviour of a well-watered grass surface, was used.  Time series plots for NDVI and evapotranspiration was plotted in GEE while that of precipitation was plotted in Microsoft Excel . I started analysis from 01/01/2020 to 31/05/2023. Results Fig. 2...

Mangrove species are various types of salt-tolerant plant species (trees or shrubs) that occur in intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines. The term is applied to both the individual plant and the broader ecosystem. Use the following link to view the global distribution of mangrove species along major ocean currents:  Mangrove Species . In this web app, you can view major ocean currents and a number of mangrove species in either cold or hot currents.

ChatGPT is a prototype dialogue-based AI chatbot capable of understanding natural human language and generating impressively detailed human-like written text. It is the latest evolution of the GPT – or Generative Pre-Trained Transformer – family of text-generating AIs.[2] It is  an online chat conversational software application. When we talk of this type of technological innovation, terms like Reinforcement Learning, Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning come into play. ChatGPT can be used in a variety of ways to aid climate research, including in model parameterization, data analysis and interpretation, scenario generation, and model evaluation. This technology provides researchers and policy-makers with a powerful tool for generating and analyzing different climate scenarios based on a wide range of data inputs, and for improving the accuracy of climate projections.[1] AI algorithms can analyze environmental impact data, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, ...

How have you been an ODK champion? In 2021, I provided training to staff from the Department of Range Resources Management on data collection technologies in direct conjunction with some colleagues from national office. This was done to prepare for the data collection made in an effort to assess rangeland health and develop grazing management plans for over 70 community based organizations commonly known as grazing associations. My blog site is  tsitsomafantiri.blogspot.com . It is advocating for Technology and Environment. I have also authored some data collection tools for a number of projects in My country. These include projects titled Improving Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable and Food Insecure Population in Lesotho, Regeneration of Landscapes and Livelihoods, and Wool and Mohair Promotion Project. I have also authored some forms on avifaunal and floral studies required from Social and Environmental Impact Assessment.

 In this blog article, web GIS is used in the context of rangeland planning ; Ha Nthapo village in Lesotho serving as case study. In this study, storymap has been produced to show how it can be used to visualize participatory rangeland planning that emphasises the engagement of user community in all aspects of environmental planning. First, public gathering is convened to obtain views of users about historical use patterns. Emphasis here is on indigenous knowledge system as a technique in environmental planning. In addition, participatory transect walk and mobile observations tools are showcased. Steps followed to develop the community based plan outlined above are as follows Needs assessment Using Pitso system as democratic tool for participatory planning Taking participatory transect walk   to record landscape features, map various land uses, bright spots, hotspots and sites of cultural, historic and scientific significance. Rangeland Health Assessment using robust tools su...

 Historically computer-aided statistical tools were used to conduct census surveys . Over the years, advances in the study of mobile data collection technologies have revolutionalized mobile research. Nowadays, there are numerous tools and apps for mobile GIS. These include, inter alia, Esri data collector, ArcGIS Survey123, QField, Teamscope, Open Data Kit(ODK), KoboToolbox, REDcap, SurveyCTO, Qualtrics, Zoho forms, Enketo webforms and Ona to name a few. These tools are used in a number of fields including the environment. They may be used for ecosystem health data collection in preparation for spatial planning processes. Mobile survey apps improve data quality and consistency, reduce the costs of hiring data entry clerks and printing, save time, and ensure centralized data storage. However, there are costs associated with purchasing hardware(e.g. tablets, smartphones, and/or computers) and internet connection for data management. Like in various fields, these tools may be deploye...