South African Risk & Vulnerability Atlas (SARVA) workshop at the University of Free State Centre for Global Change

On 24 April, 2024, members of SARVA and of NRF-SAEON’s Science Engagement team, visited the University of Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus, nestled in the picturesque mountainous terrain of the Free State for the third instalment in a series of workshops held in collaboration with the Centres for Global Change at previously disadvantaged universities.

The focus of this workshop was to introduce participants to QGIS software, which will enable them to conduct geospatial data analysis on their research studies. Additionally, the session included demonstrations on the integration of QGIS with various computing scripting languages, highlighting their compatibility. Furthermore, attendees were introduced to Application Programming Interface (APIs), and how to source global biodiversity datasets as well as various remote sensing datasets that utilise APIs such as the Google Earth Engine and GBIF for geospatial analysis.

One notable aspect of this workshop was the diverse range of students in attendance, 25 in total, who hailed from various faculties such as education, science, and humanities, representing an array of research areas. Witnessing how the training could be applied across such diverse disciplines was truly remarkable and highlighted the versatility of the skills being imparted to aid students in their respective research endeavours.

The participants warmly received the training, and actively engaging throughout the workshop. It was gratifying to observe the enthusiasm and eagerness with which they embraced the learning opportunities provided. This workshop surely strengthened the relationship between SARVA and the Centre and has laid the foundation for future engagements and collaboration.