Page 24 - Science in Africa

Doctor John Odindi Professor Jonathan Matondo

Mapping

invasive

plant species

Doctor John Odindi is a Kenyan and is a
senior Geography lecturer at the School Combating
of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental
Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-
Natal in South Africa.
His general research interest is on
applied remote sensing, with specific climate change
focus on vegetation and invasive plant
species mapping, urban green and
thermal ecology, climate change and
remote sensing applications in precision onathan Matondo is an associate International Council for Science’s regional
agriculture. professor in Hydrology at the office for Africa (ICSU ROA) programmes,
Doctor Odindi obtained his bachelor’s University of Swaziland. which included leading a team of experts
degree in Environmental Studies at He obtained his first and second looking at issues of global environmental
Kenyatta University in Kenya, his BSc degree in Applied and Surface change (including climate change and
(Hons) in Geographic Information JHydrology in 1976 and 1978, adaption), leading the team to prepare and
Systems and Applied Remote Sensing respectively, from the University of Dar es implement research proposals that seek to
and MPhil in Environmental Studies at Salaam, Tanzania. address/mitigate climate change and its
the University of Fort Hare and his He obtained his PhD from impacts on rainfall and water
PhD in Environmental Geography Colorado State University, US, in resources in Africa.
(focusing on remote sensing of invasive the area of Water Resources Currently, Professor Matondo
plant species) at the Nelson Mandela Planning and Management in is the chairperson of the
Metro University, both in South Africa. 1983. Professor Matondo African Science Plans
Doctor Odindi has more than 40 worked at the University of Development and
publications in the above-mentioned Dar es Salaam in the Implementation Steering
areas of interest and has supervised department of civil Committee for ICSU ROA. He
engineering from 1976 to 1995. led and coordinated the review
more than 15 postgraduate students.
He is currently working in While at the University of Dar es process of the ICSU ROA Science
Salaam, he lectured undergraduate Plan for the Global Environmental
collaboration with numerous local and and master’s civil engineering students. Change and oversaw the final process
international institutions. He joined the University of Swaziland in to print the ICSU ROA-revised science plans.
Doctor Odindi is currently working in August 1995, where he lectured undergraduate He is the editor of the African Climate
collaboration with the South African and postgraduate students, supervised Variability and Change Book (a project for
National Space Agency (Sansa) in earth undergraduate and postgraduate research ICSU ROA), which is expected to be in print
observation research projects on projects in water resources management as by early June 2017.
invasive plant species and land well as conducted research and consultancy Areas of expertise and experience include:
degradation. He has also assisted Sansa activities. hydrology, water resources planning and
through his participation in the human He carried out research activities related management, hydraulics, water resources
capital development programme and to climate change, which involved modelling management in irrigated agriculture,
has supervised three Sansa scientists of the impact of climate change on water computer applications in hydrology,
for their MSc degrees. resources at local and regional levels. hydraulics and water resources-related
He has been actively involved in the subjects.
24 SCIENCE IN AFRICA