Dr. Rania Bou Kheir
Miss
Rania Bou Kheir was born in Lebanon in 1974, has a long experience in
research, having spent around 10 years at the National Council for Scientific
Research/National Center for Remote Sensing (NCRS) in Lebanon, working and
cooperating in national and international development projects, and involved in
scientific publishing related to soil and land management problems
(e.g., water erosion, soil pollution, desertification, land
degradation, mass movements, forest fires, etc.). She holds an engineering
diploma in Agriculture engineering from the Lebanese University (1997), a MSc.
from the academic agency of French speaking-countries (Lebanon) in 1998, and a
PhD (highly honorable with congratulations of the committee) in the
application of remote sensing and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for
modeling land degradation problems from Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon
(France) in 2002.
Recently (July 2007), she got the “Accreditation to supervise research” diploma [Habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR)] from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie Paris 6, evaluating her status as a professional researcher and assigned her the rank of full professor. She did a postdoctoral research (2004) at the University of Southern California USC (GIS research laboratory) beneficiating from a USA Fulbright scholarship.
This
research pertains to modeling soil-erosion using optical image sensors and GIS
thematic data. In addition to her work in the research domain, she is instructor
(since 2002) at several universities in Lebanon, i.e. Notre-Dame University,
Holy-Spirit University (Kaslik), Saint-Joseph University and Lebanese
University, covering undergraduate and graduate courses of an interdisciplinary
nature in both languages French and English (e.g.,
environmental geology, soil science, geography and agrometeorology, theories of
remote sensing, interpretation of satellite imageries, principles and
applications of GIS). She supervised two PhD students registered at
University of Bordeaux 1 and University of Paris VI (France), and several master
and engineering students in Lebanon.
As of October 2007, she authored and co-authored 25 scientific papers in peer-reviewed international scientific journals, 30 papers in international and national conferences, and participates in books and scientific reports editing. She received several honors and awards (e.g., «J. William Fulbright» award from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) – Washington (July 2004), «Great Women of the 21st Century – Environmental Sciences» award from the American Biographical Institute (August 2005), Marie-Curie scholarship/European commission (April 2006), the 10th Anniversary of Franco-Lebanese CÈDRE program award for good research and publications (June 2006)].
Previous expertise
She has extensive experience in the coordination and participation in international projects in the area of remote sensing and GIS environmental modelling (erosion, pollution, land use changes, mass movements, forest fires, etc.), including the coordination of AUF, CÈDRE and SIDA projects (held with France, Tunisia and Sweden), and the participation in the European MEDCOASTLAND project which combines 36 research institutions in 12 countries, EU Life programs [COLD (www.coldproject.net/), ResManMed (www.environmentalmalta.com) including 9 countries], UNEP, FAO and ASCAD projects.
Selected publications
Abdallah, C., Chorowicz, J., Bou Kheir, R., Khawlie, M., 2005. Detecting major terrain parameters relating to mass movements' occurrence using GIS, remote sensing and statistical correlations, case study Lebanon. Remote Sensing of Environment, 99, 448-461.
Abdallah, C., Chorowicz, J., Bou Kheir, R., Dhont, D., 2007. Comparative use of processed satellite images in remote sensing of mass movements: Lebanon as a case study. International Journal for Remote Sensing, under press.
ACSAD-GTZ, 2005. Desertification Assessment and Monitoring System (DAMS). ACSAD (Arab Center for the studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands) (Syria) and GTZ (Gesellschraft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit) (Germany), 50p.
Bou Kheir, R., Girard, M-C., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Faour, G., Darwish, T., 2001. Apport de la télédétection pour la modélisation de l’érosion hydrique des sols dans la région côtière du Liban. Télédétection, 2(2), 79-90.
Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Girard, M-C., Khawlie, M., 2001. Impact des activités humaines sur l’érosion hydrique des sols dans la région côtière montagneuse du Liban. Sécheresse, 12(3), 157-165.
Bou Kheir, R., Girard, M-C., Khawlie, M., 2004. Utilisation d'une classification structurale OASIS pour la cartographie d'unités de paysage dans une région représentative du Liban. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 30(4), 617-630.
Bou Kheir, R., 2006. Etude de l’efficacité de l’intégration de la capacité d’infiltration des roches affleurantes dans les modèles spatialisés d’érosion en utilisant la télédétection et le SIG – exemple au Liban. Photo-interprétation, 1, 19-26.
Bou Kheir, R., 2006. Managing soil erosion risk using GIS and Remote Sensing, case study Lebanon. 18th International Soil Meeting (ISM) on Soils Sustaining Life on Earth Managing Soil Science and Technology. Soil Science Society of Turkey and Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey, 22-26/5/2006, 431-437.
Bou Kheir, R., Wilson, J. 2006. Use of DEMs for predictive gully soil-erosion mapping in Lebanon. 18th World Congress of Soil Science, USA, 9-15/7/2006, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Bou Kheir, R., Abdallah, C. 2006. Conceptualization of GIS field prediction regional soil-erosion Mediterranean models, case study Lebanon. European General Assembly (EGU), 2-9/4/2006, Vienna, Austria. Geophysical Research Abstracts, European Geosciences Union, vol. 8, 01289, 2006, SRef-ID: EGU06-A-01289.
Bou Kheir, R., Runnstrom, M., Martensson, U. 2006. Definition of landscape erosion units using a structural classification OASIS of Landsat TM satellite imageries, case study Lebanon. 6th AARSE International Conference on Earth Observation & Geoinformation Sciences in Support Africa’s Development, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) and African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE), Cairo, Egypt, 30/10-2/112006, 164-165.
Bou Kheir, R., Chorowicz, J., Abdallah, C., Dhont, D., 2006. Impact of torrential rainfall on gully erosion in Lebanon: use of decision-tree model to map soft lands. Young Scientist’s Global change conference, Earth System Science Partnership, 9-12/11/2006, Beijing, China, 8 p.
Bou Kheir, R., Cerdan, O., Abdallah, C., 2006. Regional soil erosion risk assessment in Lebanon. Geomorphology, 82, 347-359.
Bou Kheir, R., Cerdan, O., Girard, M-C., Abdallah, C., 2007. Importance de la prise en compte du MNA dans les trois dimensions pour la cartographie du potentiel de ruissellement, application au Liban. Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie, 51(2).
Bou Kheir, R., Wilson, J., Deng, Y., 2007. Use of terrain variables for predictive gully erosion mapping in Lebanon. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, under press.
Bou Kheir, R., Chorowicz, J., Abdallah, C., Damien, D., 2007. Soil and bedrock distribution estimated from gully form and frequency: a GIS-based decision-tree model for Lebanon. Geomorphology, under press.
Faour, G., Bou Kheir, R., Darwish, A., 2006. Méthode globale d’évaluation du risque d’incendies de forêt utilisant la télédétection et les SIG : cas du Liban. Télédétection, 5(4), 359-377.
GLA-AFDC, 2005. Forest fire fighting in Lebanon using remote sensing and GIS. Green Line Association (Liban), Association for Forest Development and Conservation (AFDC) (Liban) and European Commission (programme Life), 161p.
GTZ, 2007. Desertification monitoring and assessment (DMA) in the Arab World using satellite imageries between 1982 and 2005. Deutsche Gesellschraft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GTZ (Germany), 15p.
Khawlie, M., Awad, M., Shaban, A., Bou Kheir, R., Abdallah, C., 2002. Remote sensing for environmental protection of the eastern Mediterranean rugged mountainous areas, Lebanon. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing, 57, 13-23.
PAP/RAC-UNEP, 2004. Improving coastal land degradation monitoring in Lebanon and Syria – Country report: Lebanon. Descriptive erosion mapping, Identification and prioritization of future intervention areas, Draft management program. European commission, LIFE program, TCY/00/INT/00069/MED. ERS/RAC, 138p.
UNEP-FAO, 2000. Guidelines for erosion and desertification control management with particular reference to Mediterranean coastal areas. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) – Mediterranean Action Plan, priority actions programme in cooperation with FAO. European commission, 108p.
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Dr. Rania Bou Kheir will be interested in collaborating with other researchers from all over the world on international projects and scientific publishing, especially those who are from Lebanon and /or those who are familiar or are interested in Lebanon.