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Dr. Wahaj Habib

Dr. Wahaj Habib

Research Fellow, Geography

Biography

I am a Postdoctoral researcher at Trinity College Dublin, focusing on satellite-driven modelling to upscale Ireland's CO2 Net Ecosystem Exchange (ICONEEx) project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland. My research interests lie in leveraging Geospatial Data Science (GDS) to develop solutions for challenges related to climate change. I earned my PhD in Remote Sensing and GIS from Trinity College Dublin in 2024, where I researched the impact of management activities on peatland ecosystems using multi-spatial-temporal remote sensing and machine learning techniques. My MSc in Remote Sensing and GIS from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand included developing machine learning models for flood forecasting in Thailand. My research experience encompasses high-resolution habitat mapping, artificial drainage detection, and land use change assessment using satellite imagery and machine/deep learning methods. I am also involved in teaching GIS and remote sensing at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, covering modules including GIS for Smart and Sustainable Cities, Biodiversity and Conservation, and Environmental Sciences.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • Ruchita Ingle, Wahaj Habib, John Connolly, Mark McCorry, Stephen Barry & Matthew Saunders, Upscaling methane fluxes from peatlands across a drainage gradient in Ireland using PlanetScope imagery and machine learning tools., Nature Scientific Reports, 13, (11997), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI
  • Budiman Minasny, Diana Vigah Adetsu, Rebekka R.E. Artz, Matt Aitkenhead, Nikki Baggaley, Alexandra Barthelmes, Amélie Beucher, Jean Caron, Giulia Conchedda, John Connolly, Raphaël Deragon, Chris Evans, Kjetil Fadnes, Dian Fiantis, Zisis Gagkas, Louis Gilet, Alessandro Gimona, Stephan Glatzel, Mogens H. Greve, Wahaj Habib, Kristell Hergoualc"h, Cecilie Hermansen, Darren B. Kidd, Triven Koganti, Dianna Kopansky, David Large, Tuula Larmola, Allan Lilly, Haojie Liu, Matthew Marcus, Maarit Middleton, Keith Morrison, Rasmus Jes Petersen, Tristan Quaife, Line Rochefort, Rudiyanto Rudiyanto, Linda Toca, Francesco N. Tubiello, Peter Lystbæk Weber, Simon Weldon, Wirastuti Widyatmanti, Jenny Williamson, Dominik Zak., Mapping and monitoring peatland conditions from global to field scale, Biogeochemistry, 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI
  • Wahaj Habib, 'A national-scale assessment of land use change in peatlands between 1989 and 2020 using Landsat data and Google Earth Engine"a case study of Ireland', Springer Nature, 2023, -Map, GIS map, 2023, TARA - Full Text
  • Wahaj Habib, Remi Cresson, Kevin McGuinness, John Connolly, Mapping artificial drainage on Peatlands - A national scale assessment of Irish raised bogs using sub-meter aerial imagery and deep learning methods, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI
  • Habib W, Ingle R, Saunders M, Connolly J., Quantifying peatland land use and CO2 emissions in Irish raised bogs: mapping insights using Sentinel-2 data and Google Earth Engine., Scientific reports, 14, (1), 2024, p1171Journal Article, 2024, DOI
  • Ingle, R. Habib, Wahaj; Connolly, John, McCorry, Mark, Barry, Stephen and Saunders, Matthew, A simple approach to upscale methane emissions from peatlands using Planetscope satellite data and machine learning algorithm, EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 2024Oral Presentation, DOI
  • Habib, W. and Connolly, J., Satellite-driven model to upscale Irish CO2 Net Ecosystem Exchange (ICONEEx)., EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 2024Oral Presentation, DOI
  • Habib, W. and Connolly, J., Automated Mapping of Artificial Drainage in Peatlands Using Deep Learning and Very High-Resolution Aerial Imagery, EGU General Assembly,, Vienna, Austria, 2024Oral Presentation, DOI , URL

Research Expertise

  • Title
    Satellite-driven model to upscale Irish CO2 Net Ecosystem Exchange (ICONEEx)
    Summary
    This study aims to use a combination of high-resolution remote sensing data and measurements from in situ ECFT data to model the NEE of CO2 across ~92% of Ireland's terrestrial area, covering major land covers such as wetlands (coastal and peatlands), grassland, and forestry.
    Funding Agency
    Environmental Protection Agency
  • Title
    Smart Observation of Management Impacts on Peatland Function (SmartBog)
    Summary
    The SmartBog project is drawing on the expertise of scientists across Ireland to assess how our management of peatlands has influenced their function.
    Funding Agency
    Environmental Protection Agency
  • Title
    Satellite-driven model to upscale Irish CO2 Net Ecosystem Exchange (ICONEEx)
    Summary
    This study aims to use a combination of high-resolution remote sensing data and measurements from in situ ECFT data to model the NEE of CO2 across ~92% of Ireland's terrestrial area, covering major land covers such as wetlands (coastal and peatlands), grassland, and forestry.
    Funding Agency
    Environmental Protection Agency

Artificial intelligence and machine learning, Environmental geoscience, Environmental management, Earth and related environmental sciences,

Recognition

  • His Majesty the King Scholarship for Masters Degree (Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand) 2018
  • Royal Geographical Society Present
  • Irish Quaternary Association Present
  • European Geosciences Union Present
  • American Geophysical Union Present