Sani Mashi | Soil | Sustainable Soil Practices Award

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Prof. Dr. Sani Mashi | Soil | Sustainable Soil Practices Award

Prof. Dr. Sani Mashi, University of Abuja, Nigeria

Prof. Dr. Sani Abubakar Mashi is a distinguished environmental geographer and Professor of Biogeography at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. With extensive academic and administrative experience, he has served as Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization. His research focuses on environmental management, climate change adaptation, land degradation, and remote sensing applications. A prolific scholar and policy advisor, he has led numerous national and international research projects and currently chairs the Governing Board of the Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

Profile

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Summary:

Prof. Dr. Sani Mashi’s career is a compelling embodiment of sustainable soil science in action. He merges academic rigor with applied research to address urgent soil degradation issues affecting livelihoods, food security, and environmental health. His multi-disciplinary approach, extensive mentorship record, and impactful leadership make him an exemplary candidate for recognition.

🎓 Education

Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi received his foundational education from Galadima Primary School and continued through Government Day and Government Secondary Schools in Katsina State. He earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in Geography from Bayero University, followed by an M.Sc. in Soil Geography from Ahmadu Bello University. He completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS from Bayero University. In addition, he holds a professional certificate in the Management of Higher Education Institutions from the Galilee International Management Institute in Israel.

đź’ĽExperience

Professor Mashi has had a distinguished academic and professional career. He began as a Geography teacher during his National Youth Service in Ondo State and advanced through academic ranks from Graduate Assistant to Professor of Biogeography at various Nigerian universities including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Abuja, and Umaru Musa Yar’adua University. He also held key administrative roles such as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Director of Academic Planning, and Head of Department. Notably, he served as the Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization. Currently, he is a professor at the University of Abuja and serves as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

🔬Research Focus

His research is primarily centered on environmental applications of geographic science. He has led over 25 externally funded projects, focusing on soil and land use dynamics, vegetation change detection, climate services for farmers, ecological assessments, and community-based environmental management. His recent work includes evaluating climate adaptation strategies in drylands and promoting renewable energy through European Union-funded initiatives. He has extensively applied remote sensing and GIS tools to map and manage environmental degradation and land use change, especially in Nigeria’s semi-arid regions.

🛠️Skills

Professor Mashi is a multidisciplinary expert with core competencies in soil science, land degradation, environmental management, remote sensing, and GIS. His work reflects deep expertise in climate adaptation, geospatial analysis, land use planning, and ecosystem sustainability. He is skilled in leading research teams, managing academic programs, policy development, and institutional governance. His academic supervision spans numerous graduate theses and dissertations across environmental management, geography, and planning.

🏆Awards

Professor Mashi has earned national and institutional recognition for his contributions. He was appointed to key federal committees, including the one that developed Nigeria’s National Geoinformation Policy. He served in high-level advisory roles within the National Space Research and Development Agency and various state and federal institutions. His leadership at NiMet and the WMO raised Nigeria’s profile in meteorological science. He currently holds the presidency of the Association of Nigerian Geographers, highlighting his stature in the academic and professional geography community.

đź“š Publications


Title: Determinants of urban waste recycling among smallholder farmers in Katsina, Nigeria: Awareness, adoption, and valorization
Authors: Sani Abubakar Mashi, Amina Ibrahim Inkani, Elizabeth Dorsuu Jenkwe, Kabir Idris
Year: 2025
Journal: Cleaner Waste Systems


Title: Managing climate change risks in urban areas: determinants of climate change responses by informal settlement dwellers
Authors: Sani Abubakar Mashi, Amina Ibrahim Inkani, Elizabeth Dorsuu Jenkwe, Martins Momoh
Year: 2025
Journal: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C


Title: Assessment of efficiency of IFAD-CASP weather and climate services delivery in Sokoto and Katsina states, Nigeria
Authors: Amina Ibrahim Inkani, Sani Abubakar Mashi, Obaro Dominic Oghenejabor, Safirat Sani
Year: 2025
Journal: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C


Title: Enhancing environmental monitoring and assessment: evaluating soil quality changes using a parametric index in smallholder farming systems
Authors: Safirat Sani, Sani Abubakar Mashi, Clement Didi Chup, Elizabeth Dorsuu Jenkwe
Year: 2025
Journal: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment


Title: Assessment of climate change knowledge of residents of informal sectors of Abuja Federal Capital City, Nigeria
Authors: Elizabeth Dorsuu Jenkwe, Sani Abubakar Mashi, Martins Momoh, Oghenjabor Dominic Obaro, Safirat Sani
Year: 2024
Journal: South African Geographical Journal


Title: Determinants of utilization of soil and water conservation practices by smallholder farmers in a dryland ecosystem in Nigeria
Authors: Elizabeth Doosuu Jenkwe, Amina Ibrahim Inkani, Sani Abubakar Mashi, Amina Murtala Abusufyan, Safirat Sani
Year: 2024
Journal: Preprint (Authorea)

Conclusion:

Prof. Dr. Sani Mashi stands out as an excellent nominee for the Research for Sustainable Soil Practices Award. His legacy of integrating scientific innovation with practical land stewardship exemplifies the spirit of sustainability. While greater international collaboration and enhanced global science communication could amplify his influence, his foundational contributions and proven commitment to sustainable soil management solidify his candidacy. This award would not only honor his work but also bring global attention to the critical issues he continues to address.

Jingzhe Wang | Soil Mapping | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Jingzhe Wang | Soil Mapping | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Jingzhe Wang, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, China

Dr. Jingzhe Wang is a Lecturer at the School of Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, China. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Xinjiang University, where his research focused on wetland landscape dynamics in arid regions. His expertise lies in land remote sensing, digital soil mapping, and geospatial data analysis, with a focus on environmental sustainability and global change. Dr. Wang has received several national honors, including the National Scholarship for Doctoral Students and the Remote Sensing Excellent Achievement Award in China.

Profile

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Summary:

Dr. Jingzhe Wang is a promising and productive early-career researcher with a well-defined focus in remote sensing, environmental change, and spatial science. His work is methodologically rigorous, thematically timely, and nationally recognized. He demonstrates a clear upward trajectory in research quality and influence, with publications in high-impact journals and commendable technical capabilities.

🎓 Education

Dr. Jingzhe Wang earned a Ph.D. in June 2019 from the College of Resources and Environmental Science at Xinjiang University, China, under the mentorship of Prof. Jianli Ding. His doctoral research focused on the landscape dynamics of terminal lake wetlands in arid regions, using Ebinur Lake Wetland as a case study. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Resources and Environment at Anqing Normal University, obtained in June 2014.

đź’ĽExperience

Currently serving as a Lecturer at the School of Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Polytechnic University since March 2022, Dr. Wang holds a permanent academic appointment. Prior to this, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the MNR Key Laboratory for Geo-Environmental Monitoring of the Great Bay Area, Shenzhen University, from November 2019 to February 2021.

🔬Research Focus

Dr. Wang’s research interests lie at the intersection of Earth observation and digital environmental analysis. He specializes in land remote sensing, global change studies, digital soil mapping, and spatial geographic information science. His ongoing work contributes to advancing environmental sustainability through cutting-edge geospatial technologies.

🛠️Skills

Dr. Wang possesses advanced expertise in spectral modeling using machine learning, alongside proficiency in spectral pretreatment techniques and data mining. His interdisciplinary capabilities support innovative research in geospatial analysis and environmental monitoring.

🏆Awards

His work has been consistently recognized at both national and academic levels. He received the prestigious National Scholarship for Doctoral Students from the Ministry of Education of China in 2018. In 2022, he was honored with the Excellent Academic Papers Award in the Natural Sciences by the Science & Technology Department of Xinjiang. He also earned the Best Oral Report Award at the 2023 Symposium of Remote Sensing of Ecosystems organized by the Ecological Society of China, and was part of a team awarded the Remote Sensing Excellent Achievement Award by the Chinese National Committee for Remote Sensing.

đź“š Publications

  • Title: Spatiotemporal analysis of AGB and BGB in China: Responses to climate change under SSP scenarios
    Authors: C. Zhu, Y. Li, J. Ding, X. Chen, Z. Zhang
    Year: 2025
    Journal: Geoscience Frontiers

  • Title: Hierarchical 2-D/3-D Object-Based Classification of Photogrammetric Textured Mesh Models
    Authors: Z. Hu, J. Zhang, Z. Liu, Q. Zhang, G. Wu
    Year: 2025
    Journal: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing

  • Title: Effects of degraded land surface water on spatiotemporal distribution of regional aerosols over northwest China
    Authors: J. Wang, J. Ding, X. Chen, X. Ge, Y. Wu
    Year: 2025
    Journal: Dili Xuebao / Acta Geographica Sinica

  • Title: Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential, Storage, and Influencing Mechanisms in China
    Authors: J. Cao, Z. Zhang, J. Ding, X. Ge, J. Wang
    Year: 2025
    Journal: Land Degradation and Development

  • Title: Unveiling the Dynamic Patterns and Driving Forces of Soil Organic Carbon in Chinese Croplands From 1980 to 2020
    Authors: J. Ai, Z. Zhang, C. Yang, X. Chen, J. Wang
    Year: 2025
    Journal: Land Degradation and Development

  • Title: UAS-based remote sensing for agricultural monitoring: Current status and perspectives
    Authors: J. Wang, S. Zhang, I. Lizaga, Q. Huang, Z. Hu
    Year: 2025

  • Title: Assessing the reactions of tourist markets to reinstated travel restrictions in the destination during the post-COVID-19 phase
    Authors: X. Ma, R. Ma, Z. Ma, C. Wang, F. Han
    Year: 2024
    Journal: Scientific Reports

  • Title: Scale matters: How spatial resolution impacts remote sensing based urban green space mapping?
    Authors: Z. Hu, Y. Chu, Y. Zhang, J. Wang, G. Wu
    Year: 2024
    Journal: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

  • Title: The Performance of Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 Data for Water Body Extraction Based on Various Water Indices: A Comparative Analysis
    Authors: J. Chen, Y. Wang, J. Wang, F. Lu, Z. Hu
    Year: 2024
    Journal: Remote Sensing

  • Title: Using ZY1-02D satellite hyperspectral remote sensing to monitor landscape diversity and its spatial scaling change in the Yellow River Estuary
    Authors: S. Cheng, X. Yang, G. Yang, K. Ren, W. Sun
    Year: 2024
    Journal: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

Conclusion:

Dr. Wang is a strong candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award, especially in the environmental and geospatial domains. With continued advancement in leadership, global outreach, and project funding, he has the potential to evolve into a leading figure in his field.