Priscilla Efua Appiah

PhD Overview

My research focuses on creating an advanced numerical model that can further analyse the causes and consequences of deforestation in Ghana. This will help the government in her goal to take urgent actions to combat climate change and mitigate deforestation resulting from urbanisation and agriculture. I will be engaged in numerical tensor techniques and the construction of models using the finite volume and finite difference methods. The project will then process these techniques and develop computational algorithms for the control of large-dimensional systems. Application software that would include scenario simulations, conjugate gradients, and multigrid deflection of computational models of deforestation will be utilised to increase the efficiency of models. The methods will be employed and data collected to include satellite images of forestry land and land use history against other modelling techniques like finite element methods. Sensitivity tests will be employed to assess the impact of any of these parameters on deforestation. This project will enhance the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana to foster conservation and forest management. Improved forest resource management and access to new environmental technologies will be available for local people, school children, and scientists. Such a model can be further implemented in areas threatened by deforestation, which would also help address the problem of climate change on the international level.