Project Team
Researchers
Liana O. Anderson is the Principal Investigator of this project. She is passionate about the Amazon rainforest and its people. Her research interests encompass fires, land use and land cover dynamics, extreme climatic events and the risks and impacts of these processes and its inter-relationships. In this project, Liana has the aspiration for building a solid network of scientists, stakeholders and communities, which together will develop the knowledge for decreasing the risks of wildfires and its impacts in Amazonia.
For more info:
https://www.liana-anderson.org/
For more info:
https://www.liana-anderson.org/
João dos Reis is a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing from National Institute for Space Research, Brazil. Graduated in Geography and Master’s degree in Environment and Water Resources. Has experience in Geosciences, focusing on Physical Geography, also acting on the following subjects: geotechnology, remote sensing, monitoring systems, Python and R programming, natural disasters, fires and floods. Currently, João works with the integration of fire pixels with rural properties areas in a warning system to subsidize planning and decision making for mitigating wildfires in Acre State, Brazilian Amazon. In the MAP-FIRE project, he is part of the Working Package 2, responsible for the warning system of fire risk in the situation room, besides the discussion with scientists, stakeholders, and communities the potential and limitation of the monitoring system.
Galia Selaya is an ecologist scientist with a PhD in Plant Ecology and Biodiversity from Utrecht University and a MSc in Agricultural Ecology from Wageningen University. She explores anthropogenic impacts on vegetation dynamics, species functioning and carbon fluxes in the tropics and designs participatory methods to engage people in sustainable landscape planning and forest conservation initiatives. She promotes scientific research outcomes as a foundation of a shared conservation agenda in the multi-stakeholders, social heterogeneity, and biophysical complexity of the transboundary Madre de Dios, Acre and Pando (MAP) region in the Amazonia and in the Chiquitano dry forest of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Victor Marchezini is a researcher at Cemaden/MCTIC and professor at the Doctorate Program on Earth System Science at the National Institute for Space Research (PGCST/INPE), Brazil. His main research interests include the sociology of Disasters and climate change. In this project, Victor will work on the analysis of wildfire risk management and community-based strategies, and on the development of capacity building methods.
For more info:
https://victormarchezini.weebly.com/
For more info:
https://victormarchezini.weebly.com/
Luiz Aragão has a background in Environmental Sciences from the State University of North Fluminense in Brazil with a PhD in Remote Sensing from the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (2004). Dr Aragão was a visiting student at the University of Edinburgh, UK (2003) and a Postdoc at the University of Oxford, UK (2004-2008). He is currently associated to the University of Exeter, UK as a Senior Lecturer and is a full-time Scientist at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). He is an expert in tropical ecosystems and environmental sciences using Remote Sensing and his research focus on: carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, climate and environmental change, ecosystem ecology and remote sensing of forest disturbances, including deforestation and fires.
Research Assistants
Izaias Brasil da Silva has a degree in Biology and Master's degree in Ecology from the Federal University of Acre, located in Brazil. He has experience in Systematic Botany, Forest Inventory, Arqueology, and he works with rural communities in the Amazon rainforest. Izaias currently works with Forest Inventory and is planning community development in Acre, Brazil. Izaias has been appointed to work as a MAP-Fire Research Assistant for Coordinating the field inventories and data analysis.
Yara de Paula has a degree in Biology and a Master's in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the Federal University of Acre, located in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. She has experience in the area of amphibian ecology and environmental education. Yara´s passion for conservation ecology and human-nature interaction relationships adds to her experiences, being the main motivators in his current scientific research. As a Research Assistant in the MAP-FIRE project, Yara is leading the planning, coordination and data analysis of the activities involving school and local communities of the transboundary Madre de Dios, Acre and Pando (MAP) region. In addition, Yara is also acting in the discussion and dissemination of the scientific knowledge about the current and future wildfires risks and impacts among scientists, schools and the communities of the MAP region.
Gleiciane de Oliveira Pismel is a sociologist and researcher in the Mundos do Trabalho no Amazônia group from the Federal University of Acre, Brazil. Between 2015-2016 she studied the impacts of the Interoceanic or BR-317 highway in the Madre de Dios-Peru, Acre-Brasil and Pando-Bolivia (MAP) region. She also worked at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) between the years 2017 and 2018 acting as a supervisor for processing quantitative and qualitative data. In the MAP-Fire project, her research focuses on the governance analysis of the MAP regions institutions involved in the wildfires management, planning and response.
Igor José Malfetoni Ferreira has major degree in Environmental Engineering from Federal University of Technology of Paraná (UTFPR) and Master degree in Remote Sensing from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). He was an exchange student at Mercer University, Macon – USA, through the Brazilian program "Science without Borders". He has experience in geoprocessing tools and remote sensing products application in studies about Landscape Ecology, conservation and management of biodiversity, climate change, dynamics of tropical forests and their ecosystem services such as forest biomass and carbon stock. Currently, Igor works as research assistant in the MAP-Fire project. His work is focused on generating the current, mid (2041-2070) and the end (2071-2100) of the 21st century fire probability for the Amazon and MAP region. Based on the scenarios that Igor is generating, discussions with stakeholder and the society will take place in order to identify capacities and limitations that are present in the MAP and also reflect what is needed to adapt in order to mitigate the fire scenarios modelled.
Students
Ana Carolina Pessôa holds a degree in Biological Sciences – Ecology from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She was an exchange student at University of Montana – USA through the Brazilian program ‘Science Without Borders’. She earned her Master’s degree in Remote Sensing from National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in 2016. From 2016 to 2017, Ana worked as a research assistant on the project ‘Tropical Deforestation and Economic Development’ (Research project – KLIMAFORSK, Norwegian Research Council – Project No: 230860/F10). In 2018, Ana started her PhD under Liana´s supervision in the Remote Sensing Department, INPE. She is one of the PhD students on MAP-Fire project, and her research will contribute on the analysis about the effectiveness of environmental policies in Brazil with implication for fire occurrence.
Wesley Campanharo is a Forestry Engineer from the University of Espírito Santo (UFES), specialist in Agroecology from the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo (IFES) and Master in Remote Sensing and Management of Hydrographic Basins by UFES.
He is currentçy doing his PhD at INPE, supervised by Liana. He is interest in quantifying the socio-economic losses caused by wildfires.
He is currentçy doing his PhD at INPE, supervised by Liana. He is interest in quantifying the socio-economic losses caused by wildfires.
Cândida Leite has Bachelor in Geography from the State University of Feira de Santana (2019), CAPES scholarship holder in the Postgraduate Program in Remote Sensing at the National Institute of Space Research, with a study aimed at modeling susceptibility to the occurrence of fires in the region MAP region (Madre de Diós - Peru, Pando - Bolivia and Acre – Brazil) under the supervision of Liana. Cândida has research interests in the area of environmental analysis with emphasis on Remote Sensing and Georeferenced Information Systems. In the MAP-Fire project, she will contribute with the understanding of fire exposure and its impacts in the MAP region.
Stakeholders
Dr Vera Reis holds a Ph.D. Environmental Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Since 2004, she has been involved with Environmental Policy and Management in Acre state. As a Consultant at the Acre State Secretary of Environmental Management – SEMA (2007-2011), Technical Director of the Institute of Climate Change (IMC) of the State of Acre (2015-2018) and now as the Executive Director of SEMA, Vera has played a key role for the sustainable development of the state, through concrete actions in improving the state environmental monitoring systems and attracting scientists to the state in order to facilitate the technical knowledge to be rapidly incorporated for guiding practical decisions and policies.
Since 2004, she has been involved with Environmental Policy and Management in Acre state. As a Consultant at the Acre State Secretary of Environmental Management – SEMA (2007-2011), Technical Director of the Institute of Climate Change (IMC) of the State of Acre (2015-2018) and now as the Executive Director of SEMA, Vera has played a key role for the sustainable development of the state, through concrete actions in improving the state environmental monitoring systems and attracting scientists to the state in order to facilitate the technical knowledge to be rapidly incorporated for guiding practical decisions and policies.
Project Collaborators
Anderson Azevedo Mesquita is a professor at the Federal University of Acre, working on the institution's geography courses. He has a degree in geography, a master's degree in Regional Development and the Environment (UFAC), and is currently a PhD student in geography at the Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR). He has experience in teaching projects aimed at basic education, was coordinator of the Teaching Initiation Scholarship Program (Pibid) for 6 years, having supervised more than 80 students. Anderson research aims to contribute to the construction of a resilient society in the face of the various impacts caused by socio-environmental disasters. The main work themes are linked to physical geography and risk geography with an emphasis on risk management in the State of Acre and in the MAP region.
For more info:
https://labgeoriscoufac.wixsite.com/website
Social networks:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anderson.mesquita.77
Instagram: anderson.mesquita.77
For more info:
https://labgeoriscoufac.wixsite.com/website
Social networks:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anderson.mesquita.77
Instagram: anderson.mesquita.77
Rodrigo Otávio Peréa Serrano Graduated in Agronomic Engineering from Universidade Federal do Acre - UFAC (2000) and Pedagogical Training in Geography (2019), Master in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from Universidade Federal do Acre (2005) and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade Federal de Minas (2017). He worked as a professor of geoprocessing and topography at the multidisciplinary center of CMULT / UFAC Campos Floresta from 2006 - 2010. He is currently a Professor at the Federal University of Acre in the area of cartography and has research in transport, abrasiveness and morphometry of river sediments. He has experience in the field of Energy Engineering, with an emphasis on hydraulics and sustainability, acting mainly on the following topics: Water resources, mapping, flow machines, hydroabrasive and transport of river sediments. In the MAP-Fire project, Rodrigo will foster the engagement and collaboration of undergrad students from the Federal University of Acre in the actions of project, specifically in the development of the workshops and in the articulation with the school community of primary and secondary schools.
For more info:
https://labgeoriscoufac.wixsite.com/website
For more info:
https://labgeoriscoufac.wixsite.com/website
Alejandro Fonseca Duarte - Coordinates the Environmental Studies and Services Group at the Federal University of Acre
Alejandro completed his doctorate in mathematical physics at Belarusskii Gosudarstvennii Universitet, Russia. He is currently a full professor of Physics at the Federal University of Acre (Ufac), Rio Branco, Brazil. His area of study is devoted to the Amazon Environment in interinstitutional research projects and postgraduate courses in Education, Climate and Health.
For more info:
http://acrebioclima.net/
Alejandro completed his doctorate in mathematical physics at Belarusskii Gosudarstvennii Universitet, Russia. He is currently a full professor of Physics at the Federal University of Acre (Ufac), Rio Branco, Brazil. His area of study is devoted to the Amazon Environment in interinstitutional research projects and postgraduate courses in Education, Climate and Health.
For more info:
http://acrebioclima.net/
