Harmonizing Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Interdependencies through Agroforestry Visual Analytics

Short description: To design and develop a prototype of a semantic-driven visual analytics that may integrate NEXUS models (based on a selected case study), enabling stakeholders to explore, analyze, and optimize interdependencies among water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) systems for sustainable agroforestry planning and decision-making. This framework will leverage ontologies to harmonize multi-domain data, facilitate meaningful insights through interactive visualizations, and support the identification of trade-offs and synergies across NEXUS dimensions.

Keywords:  Visual Analytics, Agroforestry Mapping, Semantic Models, NEXUS WEFE

Topic at: TU Munich

Staff involved: Dr.-Ing. Ekaterina Chuprikova (Eurac Research) (Ekaterina.Chuprikova@eurac.edu)  

Description:

The NEXUS approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) in achieving sustainable development. Agroforestry, as a multifunctional land use system, inherently embodies these interdependencies, offering a pathway to balance competing demands while enhancing climate resilience and biodiversity.

This master thesis aims to contribute to two keyways. First, it will design an ontology-driven framework to integrate and harmonize multi-scale, multi-source data related to NEXUS WEFE (Water, Energy, Food, Ecosystems) systems. This framework will use semantic modelling to create a structured, interoperable representation of diverse datasets, enabling the analysis of interdependencies across WEFE domains.

The topic is offered by the Center of Sensing Solutions, EURAC Research located in Bolzano, Italy. The Center specializes in tailor-made solutions for research and industry, from sensor-based data collection to advanced data analysis and the development of web applications or services. Students pursuing this thesis will benefit from the multidisciplinary expertise of a dynamic team combining data science, technology, computer engineering, and electronics to develop innovative tools for sustainable solutions.

Bolzano is a vibrant Alpine city blending Italian and German cultures. Situated in the modern NOI Techpark, EURAC Research provides a dynamic and collaborative environment equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a sensor lab and digital platforms. The Center actively supports open-source technologies, fostering trustworthy and reliable data exchange, and creating cross-domain data value chains. A scholarship may be available for students willing to relocate to Bolzano.

Figure 1 (above): The NEXUS approach (credit: Global Water Partnership)

Figure 2 (below): The four principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (credits: https://www.mightybytes.com/blog/web-content-accessibility-guidelines/)

Literature/references:

  1. Kindu, M., Schneider, T., Döllerer, M., Teketay, D., & Knoke, T. (2018). Scenario modelling of land use/land cover changes in Munessa-Shashemene landscape of the Ethiopian highlands. Science of the Total Environment, 622, 534-546.
  2. Carmona-Moreno, C., Dondeynaz, C., & Biedler, M. (Eds.). (2019). Position Paper on Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
  3. Hastings Silao, Z., Ocloo, X. S., Chapman, M., Hunt, L., & Stenger, K. (2023). Trends in agroforestry research over 4 decades. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 11(1).