Biography
Dr. Stefanie Steinbach holds an M.Sc. in geography from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a PhD from the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, the Netherlands. She works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Geomatics Department at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Her work explores how satellite-based Earth observation can support sustainable water and land resource management, with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa. She investigates how environmental changes, such land use shifts and ecosystem changes, can be monitored through spatial and temporal data to better understand coupled human-environment systems, and ultimately inform decision-making across sectors.
Stefanie’s research spans multiple scales, from national-level mapping of wetland ecosystems to the monitoring of small reservoirs for aquaculture, irrigation, and water supply across the rural-urban continuum. She combines remote sensing with field-based research to quantify human-environment interactions and understand the social and ecological dimensions of resource management.
Alongside her research, Stefanie is engaged in academic teaching and capacity development. She teaches GIS and remote sensing for risk assessment and vulnerability, develops online resources for self-learning, and serves as a GIS trainer for natural resource management within international grassroots networks. She is especially committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of open, accessible tools to bridge science, policy, and practice.
