The tenth IMSC, Beijing, China, 2007 - International Meetings on ...

selection to eliminate the irrelevant features and find a subset of features that give the maximal
separation between success and failure in the operations. Second, we apply C4.5, a decision
tree induction algorithm, with the selected discriminative features for building a classifier for
predicting success or failure in the cloud seeding operations. Using the real data collected in
the northeastern part of Thailand from the Royal Rain Making Regional Center during
2004-2006, our framework yields the accurate and interpretable classifier, reaching 91.2%
accuracy. In addition, the decision tree can be converted and extracted to a rule set to improve
forecast and facilitate decision making for conducting the weather modification activities or
cloud seeding operations.
Uncertain Climatic Land of Africa
Speaker: Gordon Ondiek Nyabade
Gordon Ondiek Nyabade
Go Fishnet Youth Project
gonyabade@yahoo.com
<strong>The</strong> beautiful and most resourceful land of Africa is daily faced with uncertainty in her
climatic conditions.Each country and especially countries constituting East and Southern
Africa region most people live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture for their
livelihoods. In the region land degradation occurs mostly from soil erosion, chemical
degradation (loss of nutrients, depletion of organic matter and acidification) and biological
depletion. Other factors which contribute to land degradation in the region include compaction
from overgrazing of rangelands, uncontrolled burning and improper cultivation of steep slopes,
alternating flooding and crusting, salinization and pollution which all combine to cause
degeneration of the fragile ecosystems covering large expanses of the region.
Landscapes devoid of vegetative cover deeply incised by gullies that are difficult to
reclaim, characterize large land expanses in the region classified as drylands. <strong>The</strong> portions
classified as sub-humid or humid (highlands and wetlands) are prone to rapid soil loss from
flash floods or periodic flooding. With a cycle of 2-3 and sometimes 5-6 years, droughts that
have occurred in the region for over a century, worsen the land degradation problem making
land management a formidable task particularly during the critical moisture deficient periods.
Differing land tenure systems combined with high poverty and low literacy levels common
among the rural population complicate land management process.
Low technological capacity, poor governance, poorly conceived management policies and
their implementation further complicate land management issues. Technology development,
technology transfer and low adoption rates further exacerbate the situation. Pressure on the
land and competition for land is of main concern throughout the region. Governments in the
region as well as private organizations (including the numerous NGOs operating in the region),
some communities and individuals (including researchers and academicians) have all
identified the need to conserve land and reverse degradation to restore its productivity and
improve the quality of life for those who depend on it for their livelihoods.
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