Researcher Basnewende Brice Fulgence Zoungrana, of the Oklahoma State University, had first pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Macroeconomics at the University Saint Thomas D’Aquin, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Following an eye-opening conversation with his uncle, he realised that since he wanted to work on development projects, directly helping the disadvantaged—mostly unschooled in his area of interest—he first needed to learn how to communicate with them.

His uncle explained how maps work and the ease with which these can convey messages to people, especially in developing countries such as Burkina Faso, where many cannot read. He made Brice understand how it would be easier for Burkina’s population to grasp a message when they are able to perceive it visually. 

That is when Brice first learned about Geographic Information Sciences (GIS), Remote Sensing and Geography, making this his main focus.

His dissertation research used geographic ideas, GIS and remote sensing methods to address a sustainable farmer initiative called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR).

FMNR is a land restoration technique, which consists in the protection and the management of natural grown trees to increase the value and quantity of woody vegetation on croplands in the Sahel, a vast semi-arid region of Africa separating the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannas to the south. 

Brice used ESA’s Third Party Missions' (TPM) Vision-1 satellite data to improve knowledge of the current extent of FMNR trees, using deep machine learning algorithms. 

He hopes the results of his research will demonstrate an improvement in farmers’ lives and land, and that they may be willing to adopt FMNR to restore their degraded croplands, thus contributing to the fight against poverty and hunger in Burkina Faso.

Born in Burkina Faso, Africa, Brice grew-up in Ouagadougou, attending the University Saint Thomas D’Aquin and Institut Supérieur d'Etudes Spatiales et des Télécommunications, where he completed respectively a Bachelor’s degree in Macroeconomics and Development Management, and a Master’s degree in Geomatics, with a specialisation in Project Management.

He finished his studies in Geography/GIS at the Oklahoma State University, where he obtained a PhD in 2024. Before that, he had attended the South Dakota State University, where in 2020 he obtained a Master of Science in Geography/GIS.

He currently works a Senior GIS Analyst in urban forestry, throughout the United States.

ESA: How and when did you decide you wanted to focus on Earth Observation?

Brice: As a geographer, Earth observation has always been an integral part of our work. For every challenge and research project, incorporating remote sensing data, such as aerial or satellite imagery, offers a unique depth of understanding and insight. For me, the question isn’t whether to use Earth observation, but rather which type of data or platform is best suited to achieve my goals. So, when I began formulating my research, I knew from the outset that I would rely on Earth observation, given the specific insights it provides, especially for global or regional challenges such as FMNR.

ESA: How did your studies help you to approach this particular FMNR project?

Brice: I’ve been researching FMNR since 2017. My thesis focused on assessing the biophysical and socioeconomic impacts of FMNR, but as I delved deeper into this fascinating topic, new questions emerged, leading me to this project. Despite their importance, FMNR trees are often overlooked and undervalued as a natural resource, and rarely appear in national inventories. This project contributes to the existing literature by evaluating the current extent of farmer-managed natural regeneration in central Burkina Faso.

ESA: How does the use of data from the Vision-1 mission help to reveal important information for your FMNR project?

Brice: In this project, we used a machine learning algorithm to identify FMNR trees in central Burkina Faso. However, two main challenges had to be addressed for the model to work effectively. Firstly, the imagery needed to have a high enough resolution for the algorithm to detect the trees. Secondly, it had to cover a large enough area to encompass the entire study region. These challenges were overcome by the Vision-1 mission, which provided a spatial resolution of 87 cm and allowed us to fully cover the study area. This was crucial for not only identifying FMNR trees, but also for enhancing our understanding of FMNR’s prevalence in the region.

ESA: Any last thought on your overall experience?

Brice: Initially, I was sceptical whether I should submit my proposal to obtain the imagery from ESA’s TPM Project Proposals, but I’m really glad I did. The process went smoothly, and Kimberley at Airbus Defence and Space was incredibly helpful. I highly encourage other researchers not to hesitate in submitting their proposals for access to Earth observation data.