Impact of protected areas on the frequency and extent of fires in Madagascar
Call for Applications: IRD Postdoctoral Contract
Specific topic: Impact of protected areas on the frequency and extent of fires in Madagascar
Supervision: This postdoc is part of the BETSAKA project (Biodiversity-economic tradeoffs and synergy assessment for conservation areas), co-supervised by Thierry Razanakoto, Holimalala Randriamanampisoa, and Florent Bédécarrats.
Conditions
• Two-year French employment contract established by IRD.
• Salary will follow the IRD pay scale. For reference, for someone with 0-2 years of postdoctoral experience: €2,835 gross per month + €95 in various bonuses.
• Position based at UMI SOURCE (https://www.umi-source.uvsq.fr), in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Possibility of remote work and missions in Madagascar.
• The position is expected to start on January 2, 2025.
Project overview
The BETSAKA project aims to assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of protected areas in Madagascar over the 2000-2024 period. The focus of this postdoc will be analyzing the impact of protected areas on the frequency and extent of fires, using satellite data (MODIS, VIIRS, LANDSAT).
Profile
• Proficiency in R (work will be conducted in R) or, failing that, proficiency in another language (e.g., Stata, Python…) would be a plus.
• PhD in environmental sciences, geography, remote sensing, or a related discipline with multidisciplinary collaboration experience. The PhD must have already been successfully defended or the defense scheduled before the end of 2024.
• Excellent writing skills in French, good English skills, and the ability to quickly understand scientific articles in English.
• Experience in publishing in national or international journals.
• Strong interest in social and environmental challenges.
• Proficiency in satellite data analysis tools and managing large geospatial databases.
• Availability for fieldwork and international missions.
Planned research activities
• Analyze remote sensing data to assess the frequency and extent of fires in Madagascar in relation to protected areas.
• Collaborate with conservation practitioners working regularly on this topic to better evaluate the reliability of satellite fire data and identify information to cross-verify them.
• Develop research applications that will be useful to operational partners of the project (dashboards, interactive maps, indicators…).
• Study the impact of protected areas on these parameters by combining satellite data with other geospatial and socio-economic data.
• Employ advanced statistical methodologies, including coarsened exact matching (CEM), staggered difference-in-differences (DiD), and time series studies, to estimate the causal effects of protected areas.
• Work closely with other BETSAKA project members to synthesize the environmental and socio-economic impacts of protected areas.
• Publish the results of this work in international journals in English. The publications will be co-authored with project team members as part of a close interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the postdoc.
• Contribute to local capacity building through the training and professional development of young researchers.
Application process
Applications must be submitted by email by October 26, 2024, with the subject “BETSAKA postdoc application” and sent to the following addresses: and . Applicants are encouraged to write before applying if they have any questions about the position or recruitment process.
Each application must include three attached documents in Word or PDF format:
• A CV
• A cover letter
• Thesis manuscript and publications
• A technical and methodological note addressing the elements mentioned above in a structured manner.
Interviews will be conducted during the week of November 4 for selected candidates.
References
Candidates are encouraged to read the scientific articles listed in the bibliography below, available upon request.
Andriamanantena, Heninjara Narovana Hasina, Solofo Rakotondraompiana, Solofoarisoa Rakotoniaina, et Samuel Razanaka. 2021. « Répartitions spatiale et temporelle des feux à Madagascar ». Revue Française de Photogrammétrie et de Télédétection 223:38‑58.
Andrianambinina, F. Ollier D., Patrick O. Waeber, Derek Schuurman, Porter P. Lowry, et Lucienne Wilmé. 2022. « Clarification on protected area management efforts in Madagascar during periods of heightened uncertainty and instability ». Madagascar Conservation & Development 17 (1): 25‑28.
Champin, Laura, Aude Nuscia Taïbi, et Aziz Ballouche. 2022. « Spatial analysis of the occurrence and spread of wildfires in Southwest Madagascar ». Fire 5 (4): 98.
Eklund, Johanna, Julia PG Jones, Matti Räsänen, Jonas Geldmann, Ari-Pekka Jokinen, Adam Pellegrini, Domoina Rakotobe, O. Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, Tuuli Toivonen, et Andrew Balmford. 2022. « Elevated fires during COVID-19 lockdown and the vulnerability of protected areas ». Nature Sustainability 5 (7): 603‑9.
Frappier-Brinton, Tristan, et Shawn M. Lehman. 2022. « The burning island: Spatiotemporal patterns of fire occurrence in Madagascar ». PLoS one 17 (3): e0263313.
Jacquin, Anne, Véronique Cheret, David Sheeren, et Gérard Balent. 2011. « Détermination du régime des feux en milieu de savane à Madagascar à partir de séries temporelles d’images MODIS ». International Journal of Remote Sensing 32 (décembre):9219‑42. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2010.550947.
Kull, C. A., et C. E. R. Lehmann. 2022. « Fire in Highland Grasslands: Uses, Ecology, and History ». The New Natural History of Madagascar, 197.
Kull, Christian A. 2002. « Madagascar aflame: landscape burning as peasant protest, resistance, or a resource management tool? » Political Geography 21 (7): 927‑53.
Kull, Christian A., et Paul Laris. 2009. « Fire ecology and fire politics in Mali and Madagascar ». Tropical fire ecology, 171‑226.
Phelps, Leanne N., Niels Andela, Mathieu Gravey, Dylan S. Davis, Christian A. Kull, Kristina Douglass, et Caroline E. R. Lehmann. 2022. « Madagascar’s Fire Regimes Challenge Global Assumptions about Landscape Degradation ». Global Change Biology 28 (23): 6944‑60. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16206.
Scales, Ivan R. 2012. « Lost in Translation: Conflicting Views of Deforestation, Land Use and Identity in Western Madagascar ». The Geographical Journal 178 (1): 67‑79. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4959.2011.00432.x.
Tabor, Karyn, Kelly W. Jones, Jennifer Hewson, Andriambolantsoa Rasolohery, Andoniaina Rambeloson, Tokihenintsoa Andrianjohaninarivo, et Celia A. Harvey. 2017. « Evaluating the Effectiveness of Conservation and Development Investments in Reducing Deforestation and Fires in Ankeniheny-Zahemena Corridor, Madagascar ». PLOS ONE 12 (12): e0190119. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190119.
Waeber, Patrick O., Serge Rafanoharana, H. Andry Rasamuel, et Lucienne Wilmé. 2020. « Parks and reserves in Madagascar: managing biodiversity for a sustainable future ». Protected Areas, National Parks and Sustainable Future. AN Bakar and MN Suratman (eds.), 89‑108. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85348.