Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
Belachew Gizachew (Project leader)
Anne B. Nilsen
Chief engineer, Geomatics department in NIBIO. Field of work: GIS and cartography. Using PostgreSQL, PostGIS, Python, QGIS, QField, QFiedCloud and QGIS Web Client. Working with analyses, fieldwork, GNSS, cartography and automation. Through this project, I will support teaching and course material development with e.g. QGIS and QField.
Jonathan Rizzi
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
Misganu Debella-Gilo
Jon Glenn Omholt Gjevestad
UCC
Denis Aheto
Richard Adade
Linda Bana
Dorothy Lukhabi
Selorm Dzantor
P. Mattah
COASTAFRICA UCC TEAM DETAILS AND WEBSITE PROFILES
| COASTAFRICA UCC TEAM CONTACTS | ||
| No. | Name | Email address |
| 1. | Ms Linda Bana | linda.bana@ucc.edu.gh |
| 2. | Dr. Isaac Osei | isaac.osei1@ucc.edu.gh |
| 3. | Ms. Selorm Djantor | selorm.dzantor@ucc.edu.gh |
| 4. | Dr. Richard Adade | richard.adade@ucc.edu.gh |
| 5. | Dr. Dorothy Lukhabi | dorothy.lukhabi@ucc.edu.gh |
| 6. | Prof. Precious Mattah | pmattah@ucc.edu.gh |
| 7. | Prof Denis Aheto | daheto@ucc.edu.gh |
Centre for Coastal Management – Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM‑ACECoR), University of Cape Coast (CCM-ACECoR)
The CCM-ACECoR is a specialised unit of the University of Cape Coast that serves as Africa’s World Bank recognised Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience. It was established under the Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) initiative to address coastal degradation and support sustainable management of marine and coastal resources in West and Central Africa. ACECoR’s core mandate is to train highly skilled human resources, conduct demand-driven applied research, and build multi-sectoral networks that generate solutions for coastal erosion, habitat loss, pollution, and climate-related risks along Africa’s coasts. The Centre focuses on capacity building (MPhil and PhD programmes and professional short courses), applied research, and extension services tailored to the needs of governments, industry, and coastal communities. ACECoR has developed accredited postgraduate programmes in areas such as Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Fisheries Science, attracting students from across the sub-region. It collaborates with regional and international partners, to advance research on coastal geomorphology, blue economy, climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, and coastal governance. Through policy dialogues, scientific conferences, and stakeholder engagements, ACECoR plays a leading role in bridging science, policy, and practice for sustainable coastal and marine management in Africa.
Prof Denis Worlanyo Aheto-Co-PI
Professor Denis W. Aheto is an eminent scholar in oceans and interdisciplinary oceans studies. He serves as the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, where he founded the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR). He also holds an adjunct professorship at the University of Waterloo, Canada. With a PhD from the University of Bremen, his expertise spans marine conservation, small-scale fisheries, and spatial planning. He has over 15 years managing major international projects for donors like the World Bank and USAID, and provides technical advice on coastal programs, supported by a strong record of indexed publications.
Prof. Precious Agbeko D. Mattah-Project team lead
Prof. Precious Agbeko D. Mattah is an Associate Professorial Research Fellow at the Centre for Coastal Management and Acting Director of ACECoR, with academic training in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Ghana. He has received specialized international training in areas such as mosquito culture, spatial ecotoxicology, and riverine biodiversity management. His professional experience spans roles at institutions including the University of Cape Coast, Dodowa Health Research Centre, Ghana Statistical Service, and the International Water Management Institute. His research focuses on pesticides, environmental and public health, coastal resource management, water and sanitation, and vector ecology, with expertise in GIS and spatial analysis. He has supervised graduate students and published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and a book chapter.
Dr. Dorothy Khasisi Lukhabi-Project Co-ordinator
Dr. Dorothy Khasisi Lukhabi is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience–Centre for Coastal Management at University of cape Coast and an ARUA/Early Career Carnegie Fellow at University of Ghana. She holds a PhD in Oceanography and Limnology (UCC), an MSc in Limnology and Wetland Management (jointly from universities in Austria, Kenya, and the Netherlands), and a BSc in Environmental Science from Egerton University. Her expertise spans water quality monitoring, benthic macroinvertebrate ecology, marine ecology, and the intersection of climate change and water security issues among coastal communities. Her current research is centered on coastal communities and maladaptive climate change responses. She has received multiple international awards, published widely on aquatic systems and water quality indices with over 100 citations, and plays active roles in major funded projects including CiCADD (https://climatechangeadd.com/our-team/) and Coast-Man (https://www.coastmanafrica.org/team) as well as environmental outreach and regional capacity building.
Dr. Richard Adade- Project team member
Dr. Richard Adade is an Assistant Research Fellow and the coordinator at the Geo-spatial Information Unit at the Centre for Coastal Management- African Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR). He holds a Ph.D. in Climate Change and Human Habitat from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria and an MPhil Degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Cape Coast. He is also a Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) certified drone pilot. Dr. Adade has over ten (10) years professional competence in the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). He has been involved in professional short courses and handled undergraduate and graduate courses in GIS & RS. His research interest areas include the GIS and remote sensing applications in the coastal zone, social research, disaster risk management and climate change risk assessment and adaptation.
Dr. Isaac Kofi Osei –Project team member, Designated Website Editor
Dr. Isaac Kofi Osei is a fisheries scientist and postdoctoral fellow at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience and Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, whose work focuses on tackling fisheries-related and coastal degradation challenges to improve food security, livelihoods, and employment. He holds a BSc, MPhil, and PhD in Fisheries Science from UCC, has received multiple distinctions and scholarships, including the Dean’s Excellence Award and USAID-funded support, and specialises in fish stock and socioeconomic assessments, fisheries management, fisheries biology and ecology, oyster culture, and ecological modelling. He has published in leading journals such as Fisheries Research, Frontiers in Marine Science, and Aquaculture International, and has consulted for organisations including USAID, AU-IBAR, SNV, the US Embassy, and the Ghana National Teaching Council as a fisheries science expert.
Ms. Selorm Awiah Dzantor- Project team member
Ms. Selorm Awiah Dzantor is a geographer and qualitative researcher with a BA and MPhil in Geography from the University of Cape Coast, where she is currently pursuing a PhD in Geography and Regional Planning. Her work focuses on vulnerability, livelihoods, and socio-ecological dynamics in coastal settings, including fishermen’s coping strategies and mangrove conservation in Ghana. She serves as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Coastal Management, contributing to grant proposals and projects on solid waste management, fisheries governance, and livelihood and vulnerability studies, and has coauthored a consultancy for the African Union–InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources. Skilled in qualitative analysis, ArcGIS, digital data management, scientific writing, and stakeholder engagement, she is active in several professional networks, has six peer-reviewed publications, and enjoys outdoor activities such as jogging, basketball, mountain climbing, and yoga.
Linda Bana – Project team member
Linda Bana is a marine affairs professional with a background in ocean governance, fisheries management, and sustainable coastal development. She holds an MSc. in Marine Affairs, where her research examined the governance of Abandoned, Lost, or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Ghana. Driven by a commitment to ocean sustainability, she focuses on promoting effective governance approaches that support the health and resilience of marine and coastal systems. Her research interests include coastal resilience, blue economy governance, and the integration of environmental and social considerations into coastal development and policy processes.
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Deo Shirima
Email: dshirima@sua.ac.tz
Dr. Deo D. Shirima is a Senior MRV Expert at the National Carbon Monitoring Centre and holds a position as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Ecosystems and Conservation within the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Tourism at Sokoine University of Agriculture. He is a distinguished forest ecologist and a national expert in greenhouse gases (GHGs) inventory. Dr. Shirima has extensive experience in forest landscape restoration, biodiversity and ecosystem management, carbon project design, forest certification, and the compilation of national GHG inventories.
Role in the project: Country Principal Investigator
Diana L Tesha
Email: diana.tesha@sua.ac.tz
Diana is a forestry and ecological researcher and Assistant Lecturer at Sokoine University of Agriculture, specializing in forest ecology, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Her work focuses on understanding the drivers of species composition, forest structure and carbon dynamics in Tanzania’s forest ecosystems. She has contributed to research on montane and coastal forests, including studies on the influence of climate, soil and topography on forest diversity and post-disturbance recovery using field-based and remote sensing approaches. With a growing body of publications and citations, she is actively engaged in advancing conservation science and sustainable forest management in East Africa.
Role in the project: Research assistant and research fellow
Sarafina N Masanja
Email: sarafina.masanja@sua.ac.tz
Sarafina is an early-career researcher and Assistant Lecturer at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). She holds an M.Sc. in Ecosystems Science and Management and a B.Sc. in Forestry, both from SUA. Sarafina has solid expertise in species identification, ecological assessments, forest landscape restoration, forest inventories, carbon pools and emissions estimation. Throughout her career, she has developed a wide range of skills through specialized training programs, including GIS and Remote Sensing for natural resource management, Bibliometric analysis for scientific research and advanced data analysis using tools like R, IPCC, EX-ACT and SPSS. Sarafina has contributed significantly to various research projects on biodiversity monitoring and conservation. In recognition of her achievements, she received the prestigious New Phytologist Award as a Best Poster Presenter in Plant Biology at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2024.
Role in the project: Research assistant and research fellow
Japhet S. Japhet
Email: japhet.safiel@sua.ac.zt
Japhet is a Forestry professional with exposure in ecosystems science and conservation biology. He works as a Tutorial Assistant at Sokoine University of Agriculture. His work integrates biodiversity surveys, ecological monitoring, and indicator taxa analysis to clarify environmental filtering processes and conservation implications. He has interests on use of digital technologies in biodiversity assessment and conservation.
Role in the project: Research assistant