This project aims to identify the factors motivating the movement of African Elephants in Kunene and Erongo regions of Namibia using various geospatial data. The data includes
- Topography (slope)
- NDVI as a proxy for vegetation health
- Rivers
- Fencelines
- Population density
- Water points
- Elephant telemetry (collar) data
The Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) organization, based in Namibia, is dedicated to mitigating human-elephant conflicts and fostering peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants. Their current initiative focuses on delineating a wildlife corridor to alleviate issues caused by elephants straying into commercial farms in search of food and water. EHRA was recognized as one of the winners of the Satellite for Biodiversity Awards 2023, a program run by the Connected Conservation Foundation in collaboration with the Airbus Foundation. As part of this award, Airbus provided very high-resolution (VHR) Pleiades satellite imagery to all winners. In this project, I conducted a Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) analysis using 30cm Pleiades Neo imagery along with elephant collar data provided by EHRA. The analysis was performed in Google Earth Engine, integrating these data with other geospatial datasets to explore and understand elephant movement patterns within the study area. This work aims to support the creation of effective wildlife corridors and contribute to reducing human-wildlife conflict in the region.
Link to Google Earth Engine App Here