Seminars & Events

APL Bakery Seminar

Nomadic Computation: Analysis of African Pastoralism Using Agent-Based Modeling and Satellite Imagery

APL (Ajiken Power Lunch) is a lunchtime workshop open to public, including IDE staffs, visiting research fellows, IDEAS students, outside researchers and graduate students. This workshop provides a platform for presentation of any work in progress where we can discuss in either English or Japanese.

Those who would attend a seminar are asked to announce yourself to receptionists on your arrival at the IDE and to obtain APL Organizers' signature on your admission card after the seminar.

Date&time:

October 29, 2015. (Thursday) 12:10-13:30

Venue:
Theme:

Nomadic Computation: Analysis of African Pastoralism Using Agent-Based Modeling and Satellite Imagery

Abstract


Dryland pastoralism has long attracted considerable attention from researchers in diverse fields. However, rigorous formal study is made difficult by the high level of mobility of pastoralists as well as by the sizable spatio-temporal variability of their environment. In this seminar, I present a new computational approach for studying mobile pastoralism that overcomes these issues. Combining multi-temporal satellite images and agent-based modeling allows a comprehensive examination of pastoral resource access over a realistic dryland landscape with unpredictable ecological dynamics. I demonstrate the analytical potential of this approach through its application to mobile pastoralism in northeast Nigeria. Employing more than 100 satellite images of the area, extensive simulations are conducted under a wide array of circumstances, including different land-use constraints. The simulation results reveal complex dependencies of pastoral resource access on these circumstances along with persistent patterns of seasonal land use observed at the macro level.

Speaker:

Takuto Sakamoto (JSPS Research Fellow)

Chair:

Shinichi TAKEUCHI

Languages:

English

Contact:
Institute of Developing Economies, APL Organizers
KIM, Jiyoung E-mail:Jiyoung_KimE-mail
LEI, Lei E-mail:Lei_LeiE-mail
OSADA, Noriyuki E-mail:Noriyuki_OsadaE-mail