The NetCDA team is back at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, contributing to the WASCAL Graduate School on Climate Change and Land Use. Over two intensive weeks, NetCDA colleagues Dr. Michael Thiel and Lilly Schell support PhD candidates in strengthening their skills in applied remote sensing for climate change research in West Africa.
The training combines theoretical foundations with a strong hands-on focus. Using R, QGIS and Google Earth Engine (GEE), participants learn how to use, adapt, and write their own code to analyse satellite data. Particular emphasis is placed on linking the exercises directly to the individual research questions of the doctoral researchers, ensuring practical relevance beyond the course itself.
An important component of the programme is the applied field perspective. During a field excursion, participants discussed and practiced different aspects of data collection across various land-use categories, strengthening the connection between field observations and satellite-based analyses.
This year’s course brings together 15 PhD candidates from 11 West African countries; Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and The Gambia. In addition to technical training, the time at KNUST provides valuable opportunities to expand the NetCDA network and engage with a wide range of emerging research topics related to climate change and land use.