Scaling nature-based solutions for climate resilient infrastructure

Role: Research assistant, Madagascar
Project: Barriers and enabling factors affecting the implementation and long-term maintenance of green and blue infrastructures in peri-urban areas of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Affiliation: Institute and Observatory of Geophysics of Antananarivo and ESSA Forêts, University of Antananarivo
ORCID ID: N/A
Email: rindraniaina.rakotonirina@gmail.com

Rindraniaina Rakotonirina is a Malagasy researcher specialising in geomatics and environmental analysis. She holds a Master’s degree in Global Physics from the Institute and Observatory of Geophysics of Antananarivo (IOGA), University of Antananarivo, where she developed strong expertise in remote sensing, GIS, and spatial modelling.

Her Master’s thesis focused on ecosystem capital accounting in the BOENY region, an in-depth study in which she combined satellite image analysis, land use mapping, and ecological infrastructure assessment with the evaluation of water resources. To carry out this research, she relied on advanced geospatial tools such as QGIS, ArcGIS, and Google Earth Engine, enabling her to produce precise thematic maps and conduct rigorous spatial analyses.

Since 2024, Rindraniaina has been working as a researcher at IOGA, where she actively contributes to land use accounts and the assessment of ecological and water capital. Her fieldwork experience includes household data collection, survey design using tools such as KoboCollect, and the drafting of technical and scientific reports. She has also taken part in socio-economic surveys aimed at evaluating natural capital in various rural and peri-urban contexts in Madagascar.

Her research interests centre on environmental monitoring, remote sensing, and spatial analysis, with a focus on ecosystem dynamics and their sustainable management amid climate and human pressures. Through her work at IOGA and field missions across Madagascar, she has built a solid ability to connect science with practice, while remaining committed to integrating both environmental and social dimensions into research and development.