Dr Mcebisi Qabaqaba received his PhD degree in Environmental Management from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2025. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow and part-time lecturer in the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology at the University of Pretoria. In his postdoctoral research, Dr Qabaqaba investigates the relationships between climatic and environmental variables and vector-borne diseases, with a particular focus on malaria, to support the development of predictive malaria early-warning systems.
His doctoral research, titled “Towards the Development of a National Woody Canopy Cover Product and Uncertainty Analysis Using Passive and Active Remote Sensing Data,” focused on advancing methodologies for large-scale woody canopy cover mapping. This work involved the integration of active and passive remote sensing data with machine learning algorithms to improve the accuracy and reliability of woody canopy cover estimations. A key component of the research was the assessment of scale effects and vegetation heterogeneity, with particular emphasis on uncertainty analysis in national-scale products. His PhD research adopted an interdisciplinary approach, bridging machine learning, remote sensing, and environmental science.
Dr Qabaqaba’s research focuses on vegetation mapping and monitoring; species identification, including invasive species; plant biophysical parameter assessment; and the application of remote sensing to climate-sensitive infectious diseases. He employs Earth observation datasets, including optical (multispectral and hyperspectral) and active (LiDAR and SAR) remote sensing data, across multiple spatial scales to support decision-making in natural resource management, environmental management, and public health domains. His work addresses key challenges related to biodiversity conservation, land degradation, and climate change impacts, while also contributing to efforts to combat the spread of climate-related infectious diseases and advancing the processing and analysis of large-scale remote sensing data.
Dr Qabaqaba has published over ten peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. He is a full member of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) and serves as a reviewer for several international journals, including Frontiers in Remote Sensing, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Earth Science Informatics (Springer), and Frontiers in Environmental Science. He currently supervises and co-supervises two PhD and five MSc students.
