Position at ZEF for a LUCC modeler
August 15, 2006.
Position at ZEF: Junior Researcher/Senior Researcher
Contract: BAT IIa for 6 to 9 months, with a possibility of extension
Starting date: Soonest possible
The Department of Economic and Technological Change of the Center for Development Research
(ZEF) at the University of Bonn invites applications for a junior or senior researcher within the
Biota (BIOdiversity monitoring Transect Analysis) East Africa project. This is an interdisciplinary
project on biodiversity research in East Africa and involves several universities in Germany, with
partners in Kenya and Uganda, and is coordinated by the Alexander Koenig Research Institute and
Museum for Zoology (ZFMK), Bonn. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (BMBF) and aims at analyzing biodiversity and ecosystem functions and
socio-economic drivers along gradients of degradation of forests.
Tasks
The focus of this research will be to predict where and to what extent future land conversion will
take place in Kakamega forest (Kenya) and surrounding areas. The researcher’s specific tasks will
include:
• To develop a spatio-temporally explicit LUCC model and use it to project future landuse/
cover changes resulting from different scenarios of key driving forces in Kakamega
forest and surrounding areas.
• To make scientific papers or publishable contributions on predicted land use/cover changes
in the study area.
The above tasks will draw on a recent study done using spatial econometrics to analyze the
determinants of land use/cover changes, which also helped to explain why deforestation has been
occurring in the research area.
The candidate will be provided with the following relevant datasets:
• Land-use/cover classification generated from satellite images of 1972, 1980, 1989 and 2001.
• Digital elevation model and other spatial data (road and river networks, administration
boundaries, land-management planning, etc.)
• A village survey data with spatially integrated locational, socio-economic, demographic and
agricultural history variables.
• Key driving forces of LUCC in the study area as proven by a previous spatial econometric
analysis
Requirements
Ph.D in agricultural and biological sciences, geography, economics or any other relevant discipline,
with practical experience in GIS analysis and the development of spatially/temporally explicit
LUCC models. Candidates holding an M.Sc/Diploma but demonstrating proven outstanding skills
on LUCC modeling will also be considered. Excellent speaking and writing English skills and
experience of working in developing countries will be an advantage.
Application:
Interested candidates are requested to submit application letters, explaining their interest and
suitability for the position, a CV, including a list of relevant publications and two academic
referees. Only electronic applications are invited. Please send them to jmburu@uni-bonn.de.
Deadline: 30th August 2006. Only short-listed applicants will be notified.
Please forward this position to anybody interested.
