New book on Remote Sensing of African Mountains-Geospatial Tools Toward Sustainability

Prof Abel Ramoelo, Director for the Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Pretoria was one of the Guest Editors for the book entitled “Remote Sensing of African Mountains: Geospatial Tools Toward Sustainability”. The book was co-edited with academics from the University of Free State led by Prof Samuel Adelabu. It was sought to (1) encourage the use of remote sensing techniques to study mountain environments; 2) examine the role climate change is playing within the mountain systems, and finally, 3) raise awareness about mountain ecosystem management and sustainability to inform policy. The summary of the book is presented below as published.

About the published book “This edited volume focuses on the use of remote sensing techniques to assess and monitor mountainous ecosystems in Africa, with a focus on tracking changes related to climate change and human activity. The book is timely, as the interaction of mountain environmental dynamics with conservation and sustainability is an under-researched issue. The chapters in this volume use remotely sensed data to study a variety of topics related to mountains and their ecosystems, including but not limited to vegetation, energy systems, environmental hazards, ecosystem services, diseases, climatic shifts, geological formations and geomorphological dynamics. The ability to monitor, assess and analyze mountainous regions is aided by the availability of remote sensing products such as optical and microwave sensors and low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The works presented here push the frontier of knowledge on mountain studies and will help shape local, national and global assessments and policies, including efforts toward the achievement of the African Agenda 2063. The book will be of interest to researchers and students in remote sensing, geography, ecology and sustainability, as well as to government organizations and conservation specialists.”