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CSRD organises a lecture by Irene Marzolff

CSRD organises a lecture by Irene Marzolff

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CSRD organises a lecture by Irene Marzolff
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Centre for the Study of Regional Development

School of Social Sciences

 

Invites you all to a lecture on

 

Erosion processes in degraded argan-tree populations in South-west Morocco – Outlook on a multi-methods research project 2018-2021

 

Irene Marzolff

Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany

 

Date: 19 March 2018

Time: 3.00 PM

Venue: Cartographic Lab, CSRD, SSS III (Ist Floor) 

 

Abstract : In semi-arid to arid South-west Morocco, the endemic argan tree (Arganiaspinosa) forms open woodlands that are the basis of a traditional agroforestry system involving rain-fed agriculture, pasturing of goats, sheep and camels, and oil production. For at least a century, the argan forests have declined due to due to charcoal-making, overgrazing and agricultural expansion. Soil and vegetation are increasingly being degraded; canopy cover decreases, and soil erosion rates rise due to reduced infiltration and increased runoff.

The research project ARGAN, a cooperation of Frankfurt, Trier and Agadir University, will analyse degradation processes at various argan-forest sites with different degrees of usage and degradation by employing a multi-methods concept including geomorphological and socio-economic fieldwork and remote sensing and GIS analysis. The aim is to identify threshold values for soil and vegetation degradation and for usage intensity leading to the dynamisation of erosion processes. The understanding of these relations are an important prerequisite for a sustainable use of the argan-tree populations.

 

Dr. Irene Marzolff is Senior Lecturer and head of the Remote Sensing and GIS department at the Institute of Physical Geography, Frankfurt University. She has 20 years of experience in analysis of aerial photography and satellite imagery for mapping and monitoring land-degradation processes, in particular the development of gullies and badlands. During several research projects, she has been investigating soil erosion as well as agricultural land reclamation in badland regions in Spain, Morocco and India. The methodological approaches of her research have strongly relied on high-resolution topographic data, particularly UAV-derived DEMs, for quantitative and qualitative analysis of erosional relief forms.

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.