Samuel Akande

As a Senior Scientific Officer at the Centre for Space Research and Applications (CESRA), my principal research interests include the climate change impacts on the environment and integrated techniques for adaptation and resilience. I am a Earth Observation/Remote Sensing scientist and GIS specialist with both professional experience and an academic background. I have extensive experience with image processing, time series analysis, spatial analysis, cartography, and database management/maintenance. I use ArcGIS, QGIS, SWAT, ENVI, SNAP, IDL, Python, NCL, Ferret & R for ocean and climate models, analyses etc., with particular emphasis on open source libraries and extensions. Working with high-level stakeholders (such as the World Bank, ACMAD, GCRF-African SWIFT, and IITA) ensures that my research focuses on the most relevant extremes, i.e. those that pose the largest social risks. I have over 25 peer-reviewed papers to my credit, including some in conference proceedings, and I am currently working on the IPCC Assessment Report and many book chapters.

I am a self- driven, budding academic with strong oral and written communication skills. Over the past ten years, I have demonstrated effectiveness in classroom teaching and learning, faculty cooperation, and academic publishing. I am known for innovative student-centered teaching practices and a strong interest in climate change risk management and adaptation research, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

My Doctoral research focused on the impacts of climate change and extreme events along the Gulf of Guinea region. I seek to further work extensively in this area with a wider scope beyond the North Atlantic region. I have authored and co-authored several international journals (see - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Samuel-Akande-3) and had attended Early Career Researcher courses in Europe, North America and in Africa.

Recently, I participated in the International Research Project funded by the United Kingdom’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) – the African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT: https://africanswift.org/). I was involved in the automation of African weather forecasting systems for people’s safety, and for key economic sectors including aviation, agriculture, energy, water and emergency response. Also, I was part of the research team responsible for the interdisciplinary engagement needed to link forecast users requirements with the provision of quantitative measures of forecast accuracy.

Through global organizations and networks, I have contributed to interdisciplinary projects and initiatives (often at their early stages to completion) on Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Early warning Systems and Land Restoration, among others. My research motivation has been strongly attributed to his passion and supports towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for future well-being of humanity.

I had presented my research at both Regional (subnational) and international conferences such as the United Nations/PSIPW - 5th International Conference 2022 (Ghana), Climatic Modes of Variability 2019 (CLIMOVAR, Spain), 39th Annual EARSeL Symposium 2019 (Austria), GROW - Agrobiodiversity in a changing climate 2019, (FAO, Italy), GEOBIA & PhD colloquium 2018 (France); and the citiesIPCC Conference 2018 (Canada), etc.