Prof Lobina Palamuleni presented her inaugural lecture, titled “Building the bridge: The land and water bridge”, on 7 November 2019 at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng.

Prof Palamuleni, a professor in the School of Geo and Spatial Sciences, spoke about the materials and techniques or methods that could contribute to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal consequences  of the interaction between land and water.

“I have found that using special techniques such as land-use mapping and  planning, water resources management, and catchment management could help us to understand this interaction and how to manage both land and water resources properly,” said Prof Palamuleni. “Moreover, human attitudes and behaviour could also contribute to a focused mind set towards water conservation.”

 Prof Palamuleni explained that at the top of every developing country’s agenda is economic growth and the utilisation of natural resources.

“The natural environment is changed to allow development of urban settlements, agriculture and industries. However, as the land cover changes, other resources are affected.

“For example, the degradation of ecosystems negatively impacts on rural livelihoods, and some land cover changes alter the hydrological cycle, which often leads to water pollution,” Prof Palamuleni explained.  

More about the academic

Prof Lobina Gertrude Palamuleni is presently a full professor and deputy director of the School of Geo and Spatial Sciences. She has supervised nine PhD and 11 master’s students, and mentored two postdoctoral fellows.

Her research interests centre on problems of land use and land cover changes, application of remote sensing techniques and geographical information systems to solve environmental problems, specifically relating to water resources.

She has published more than 40 research articles and delivered talks at many international conferences. She is a reviewer of more than 10 international journals in the field of water resources management, applied remote sensing and geographic information systems. 

She is a member of the Association of African Remote Sensing of the Environment, the Society of South African Geographers, the Association of American Geographers and a member of the WaterNet/Water Research Fund for Southern Africa.

 Prof Marilyn Setlalentoa, deputy vice-chancellor for community engagement and campus operations in Mahikeng, presents Prof Lobina Palamuleni with a certificate after her inaugural lecture.