PhD in Environmental Sciences

Wildfires are powerful forces of nature that shape ecosystems, degrade air quality and influence climate. Human activities modify fire characteristics through land use change, intentional or accidental ignitions and by active fire management. However, the complex interactions between climate change, vegetation shifts, and human behaviour—and their consequences for wildfires—remain poorly understood./nThe position aims to use Earth Observation data to improve understanding and modelling capabilities to provide more reliable projections of future fire dynamics and their effects on humans, and to provide recommendations for fire management. The study is focused on regions in East and Southern Africa./nYou will work closely together with the INFLAMES project team, which includes four other PhD Candidates, several MSc students and a postdoctoral researcher working at eight institutions throughout the Netherlands./nSeveral visits to the study region are foreseen to interact with local stakeholders.