Individually based project work

Individual project work is an important part of the six-month training at UNU-LRT and is the main focus in the latter half of the training.  This year the fellows projects are very diverse, some are strictly scientific and include field- and lab work, mapping and use of GIS, as well as data handling and statistical analysis.  Others are closer to the field of social sciences and include surveys and examination of participatory approaches in land management, and evaluation of legal frameworks and policies related with grazing lands.

One fellow’s project focuses on wind erosion in Myrdalssandur desert in South Iceland.  Mýrdalssandur is a big sandy area that has received ash from the recent volcanic eruptions and has a long history of erosion as mineral deposits are constantly fed to the area from glacial river.  The project is carried out by Elhadji Zakaria Ibrahim Ousseini from Niger.  The main goals are to quantify wind erosion in the area and study the methods used in wind erosion measurements. This knowledge will be beneficial when back home in Niger as soil erosion by wind is a big challenge in the Sahel region.  

The supervisors of this project are Prof. Olafur Arnalds from the Agricultural University of Iceland, and Elin Fjola Thorarinsdottir and Dr. Johann Thorsson from the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland.