We welcome Malek Drissi, a PhD researcher from Tunisia, who will join the Advanced Information Systems Laboratory (IAAA) at the University of Zaragoza as part of an international research internship.

“My academic background is in Geomatics Sciences. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Geomatics Sciences, followed by two Master’s degrees in different fields of geomatics.

My first Master’s degree is in Geomatics Applied to Topography and Territorial Projects, obtained from the University of Tunis El Manar. My second Master’s degree is in Geomatics Applied to Agriculture and the Environment, obtained from the University of Carthage. These academic experiences allowed me to develop a multidisciplinary background combining Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, spatial analysis, topography, and environmental applications.

Alongside my academic experience, I have worked as a GIS Engineer in different professional environments, contributing to projects related to geospatial data management, spatial analysis, environmental studies, and territorial applications. My most recent professional experience was with the United Nations, where I worked on projects involving GIS and geospatial information.

I am currently pursuing a PhD at the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, in collaboration with the Centre for Water Research and Technologies (CERTE). My research focuses on the spatio-temporal analysis of drought in the Cap Bon region of northeastern Tunisia, particularly in relation to climate variability, environmental conditions, and water resources.

My PhD research combines long-term meteorological data with satellite observations and geospatial analysis to better understand drought dynamics. The study uses precipitation data and drought indicators, such as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), together with remote sensing indices including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI).

During my internship at the IAAA Laboratory, I will focus on integrating machine learning techniques into my research to better analyse and understand the impacts of drought. The objective is to combine meteorological data, satellite observations, and environmental variables to investigate how drought affects vegetation, water resources, and environmental conditions.

This research stay will allow me to strengthen my knowledge of machine learning and its application to geospatial and environmental data. I hope to develop new approaches for drought impact assessment and contribute to improving the monitoring and understanding of drought through the integration of Geomatics, Remote Sensing, and Machine Learning.

I am very happy to join the IAAA Laboratory and to have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and collaborate with researchers working in advanced information systems and data analysis. I hope this experience will contribute significantly to my PhD research and open new opportunities for future scientific collaboration.”