Rachel Whiteside Social Science
An Analysis of Agricultural Dynamics in Ukraine in Times of Peace and War Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Technologies
Scholars Journal
In order to feed the world’s population in a future of increasing natural resource strain, uncertainties in geopolitical stability, and global climate change, the underlying forces that impact the resilience of the regional agricultural sectors must be investigated. Ukraine is an important country for consideration, as one that has not only suffered from foreign aggression, but has also undergone major agricultural and economic transformations since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Rachel will use satellite data and machine learning technologies within the Google Earth Engine platform to detect and map past and emerging patterns in Ukraine’s agricultural productivity, specifically concerning cropland stability vs. abandonment. Rachel will then perform statistical analyses to determine to what extent economic variability, climate variability, and conflict have had an effect on agricultural productivity in Ukraine.
Major: Conservation & Resource Studies
Mentor: Iryna Dronova, Environmental Science, Policy & Management