Jan Nyssen
| Jan Nyssen | |
|---|---|
 Jan Nyssen.jpg | |
| Born | August 2, 1957 Sint-Martens-Voeren |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Belgian |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Liège KU Leuven |
| 💼 Occupation | |
 | This biography relies too much on references to primary sources. (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
Jan Nyssen (born Sint-Martens-Voeren, 1957) is a Belgian physical geographer, and professor of geography at Ghent University.
Biography[edit]
Nyssen was employed as a mailman from 1977 to 1997 in Liège in Belgium. In 1991 he started a parallel study of Geography at the University of Liège where he obtained the degree of Licentiate in Geography in 1995 with a dissertation on soil erosion in Ethiopia.[1]:Forward I Between 1998 and 2001 he carried out PhD research at KU Leuven University, Belgium, in which he investigated the role of human and natural processes in land degradation in the Ethiopian highlands. Promoters of this research were professors Jean Poesen and Seppe Deckers (both at KU Leuven), Jan Moeyersons at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren) and Mitiku Haile of Mekelle University in Ethiopia. He also worked several years in projects of university development cooperation in Ethiopia.[1]:Forward II Since 2007 he has been a professor in the Department of Geography of Ghent University where he was appointed a Full Professor in 2014.
Research[edit]
His research contributes to the identification and quantification of changes in the coupled system “humans-environment” – with a focus on slope processes, hydrogeomorphology, land degradation and soil conservation. Most of his research activities are in Ethiopia.
Soil erosion in the Ethiopian highlands[edit]
Nyssen's research showed that high levels of soil loss in the Ethiopian highlands are caused by a combination of erosive rainfall, steep slopes (as a consequence of rapid tectonic uplift during Pliocene and Pleistocene), and impacts of deforestation, overgrazing, an agricultural system where the open-field system dominates, and the aftermath of poverty induced by the feudalism.
He further studied how the high density of soil and water conservation structures led to land resilience in the Ethiopian highlands.[2] Through the use of rephotography, Prof. Nyssen could link up changes in Ethiopian landscapes with land degradation.[3]
Integration with the local population[edit]
In all this, he strongly values indigenous knowledge, as he observed that Ethiopian farmers plough the same lands and hills since thousands of years with their oxen plough. They know their soils and know when rains will come or what they have to plant if rains are late.[4][5][6]
Through the years, he lived the many changes that occurred; since his first stay in 1994, he observed that the amount of food available to rural households, as well as the overall living standard has strongly improved.[2][7]
When war erupted in Tigray in 2020, he advocated strongly for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for the people of Tigray.[8][9]
Lynchets and beaver dams[edit]
Nyssen's research in Belgium is also related to the consequences of human activities on geomorphic processes: the reintroduction of beavers, spoil tips of the derelict coal mining industry, and the age-old agriculture in the Pays de Herve (the region where he was born), which led to the occurrence of lynchets or cultivation terraces, by analogy to a common practice in current Ethiopia;[10] The beaver dams have drawn his attention because they contribute to conserving water in the rivers’ headwaters. He studied their effect on discharges of the Chevral creek, that is part of the Ourthe basin. The research confirmed that such dams have a buffering effect on discharges: downstream the peak discharges are much lower that what was observed before beaver reintroduction.[11]
Teaching[edit]
Nyssen lectures Geomorphology, Hydrology, Microclimatology, and Regional Geomorphology for students in Geography and Physical Land Resources at UGent. He promoted dozens of Master and PhD theses, particularly at UGent (Belgium), KU Leuven (Belgium), Mekelle University (Ethiopia) and Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia).
Positions outside Ghent University[edit]
- 2017-2021: President of the Belgian Association of Geomorphologists[12]
- 2019-2020: Editor-in-Chief of professional journal Land Degradation and Development[13]
Books[edit]
- Nyssen, Jan; Jacob, Miro; Frankl, Amaury, eds. (2019). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains: The Dogu'a Tembien District. GeoGuide. Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04955-3. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6. Unknown parameter
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- (2016) In Tigrinya: ካብ ሓረስቶት ደጉዓ ተምቤን እንታይ ንስምዕ? (What do we hear from the farmers in Dogu'a Tembien)[6]
Involvement for and with society[edit]
Nyssen's interest in Geography "was mainly motivated by his willingness to contribute to solving issues of unequal development worldwide”.[14] His current research is related to land degradation and land rehabilitation. For instance, in Ethiopia he monitored how large tracts of land could be restored thanks to the conservation activities of millions of farmers. With colleagues, he also supports reforestation projects, leading to a yearly 10,000 tonnes of additional carbon storage.[14]
Starting points are the consequences of climate change for the inhabitants of developing countries, such as in Ethiopia, where increases in rainfall are linked to climate change. Yet, as rain is highly seasonal - with most of the rains falling within two months - additional rain in the rainy season also leads to flooding and other catastrophes.[15]
Nyssen also stresses the social context of global warming, in as much as authorities stimulate unnecessary energy consumption with policies such as tax-free company cars or the non-taxation of kerosene or airport expansion plans.[14] He stated that:
Finally, one gets the feeling that the ‘Big Oil’ lobby is so strong, can we have an impact at all? (…) Society should switch from fossil-fuel based growth to socially-adapted green shrinking, which is possible if the economy does not need to sustain corporate greed.[14]
In Ethiopia he continues to support the population of the villages where he stays several weeks a year[16] by, for example, projects for water and ecological sanitation as well as carbon sequestration in soils. These efforts have resulted in a book in the local Tigrinya language.[6]
Links with climate change and the situation in his home country are common; Nyssen stressed in 2019 in a video message in the framework of the “We Change for Life” campaign, that the inhabitants of 9 small villages in their projects in Ethiopia could annually sequester about half the carbon volume[17] as compared to what the whole Flemish region in Belgium could reach as reduction of carbon emissions (that was a meagre 2.5% of the objectives).[18]
Nyssen is also involved in favour of public footpaths in the area of Vottem, Herstal and Liège in Belgium.[19]
During the 2020-2021 Tigray War in Ethiopia, Nyssen exposed the starvation and the extreme civilian sufferings, including massacres in his adoptive town Hagere Selam and beyond by the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies.[20][21][22][23]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nyssen, Jan; Jacob, Miro; Frankl, Amaury (2019). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains: The Dogu'a Tembien District (PDF). Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04955-3. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6. Unknown parameter
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- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nyssen, Jan; Frankl, Amaury; Zenebe, Amanuel; Deckers, Jozef; Poesen, Jean (October 2015). "Land Management in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands: Local and Global Perspectives; Past, Present and Future". Land Degradation & Development. 26 (7): 759–764. doi:10.1002/ldr.2336.
- ↑ Pennisi, E. (2 August 2013). "Humans Greening a Landscape". Science. 341 (6145): 485. Bibcode:2013Sci...341..485P. doi:10.1126/science.341.6145.485. PMID 23908224.
- ↑ Anrys, Stefan (March 27, 2018). "Ethiopië boert goed, maar kiest helaas opnieuw voor extensieve landbouw" [Ethiopia is farming well, but unfortunately opts again for extensive agriculture]. Mondiaal Nieuws (in Nederlands).
- ↑ Nyssen, J.; Naudts, J.; De Geyndt, K.; Haile, Mitiku; Poesen, J.; Moeyersons, J.; Deckers, J. (May 2008). "Soils and land use in the Tigray highlands (Northern Ethiopia)". Land Degradation & Development. 19 (3): 257–274. doi:10.1002/ldr.840.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nyssen, Jan; Gebreslassie, Seifu; Assefa, Romha. "ካብ ሓረስቶት ደጉዓ ተምቤን እንታይ ንስምዕ?" [What do we hear from the farmers in Dogu'a Tembien?]. ResearchGate (in ትግርኛ).
- ↑ Wallet, Mark (13 January 2016). "In 1984 stierven in Ethiopië 400.000 mensen. Dreigt er nu een herhaling?" [In 1984, 400,000 people died in Ethiopia. Is there a recurrence now?]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Nederlands).
- ↑ Daley, Beth (17 November 2020). "Ethiopia's Tigray region has seen famine before: why it could happen again". The Conversation.
- ↑ Anna, Cara (18 November 2020). "People go hungry in Ethiopia's Tigray as conflict marches on". AP News.
- ↑ Nyssen, Jan; Debever, Martijn; Poesen, Jean; Deckers, Jozef (October 2014). "Lynchets in eastern Belgium — a geomorphic feature resulting from non-mechanised crop farming". CATENA. 121: 164–175. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2014.05.011. hdl:1854/LU-5686914.
- ↑ Nyssen, J.; Pontzeele, J.; Billi, P. (May 2011). "Effect of beaver dams on the hydrology of small mountain streams: Example from the Chevral in the Ourthe Orientale basin, Ardennes, Belgium". Journal of Hydrology. 402 (1–2): 92–102. Bibcode:2011JHyd..402...92N. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.03.008.
- ↑ Nyssen, Jan (8 June 2018). "Activity report of the Belgian Association of Geomorphologists(2017-2018)" (PDF). International Association of Geomorphologists.
- ↑ Barrow, Chris; Brandt, Martin; Frouz, Jan; Wong, Vanessa; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Ojeda, Gerardo; Nyssen, Jan. "Land Degradation & Development". Wiley Online Library. doi:10.1002/(ISSN)1099-145X.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 "Translated interview of Jan Nyssen, Full Professor". WeChangeForLife. June 17, 2018.
- ↑ ""Afrikaanse klimaatvluchtelingen zullen massaal komen." Maar klopt dat wel?" ["African climate refugees will come en masse." But is that true?]. Radio 1 (Belgium) (in Nederlands). June 13, 2018.
- ↑ Blog, Laurens (August 23, 2016). "Bezoekje van de proffen" [Visit from the pros]. Laurens in Ethiopia (in Nederlands).
- ↑ "#WeChangeForLife – Prof. Jan Nyssen". May 21, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Voortgangsrapport 2016-2017, Vlaams Klimaatbeleidsplan 2013-2020 (Tabel 3-1)" [Progress Report 2016-2017, Flemish Climate Policy Plan 2013-2020, Liege Mitigation] (PDF). Flemish government (in Nederlands) – via omgeving.vlaanderen.be (Environment Flanders).
- ↑ Wolff, Geoffrey (June 26, 2020). "A Rocourt, François Fornieri s'approprie des sentiers publics!" [In Rocourt, François Fornieri takes ownership of public trails!]. La Meuse (in français).
- ↑ Nyssen, Jan (2021). "The situation in Tigray at the beginning of 2021". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-25. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Schaap, Fritz (24 January 2021). "Hunger in Tigray: "Die Menschen essen teils Blätter und Zweige"" ["Hundreds of thousands could starve to death"]. Spiegel Ausland (in Deutsch).
- ↑ "In Tigray is aan alles tekort: 'Mensen eten takken en bladeren'" [In Tigray there is a shortage of everything: 'People eat branches and leaves']. NPO Radio 1 (in Nederlands). 26 January 2021.
- ↑ Burke, Jason (1 April 2021). "Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified". The Guardian.
External links[edit]
Media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]] at Wikimedia Commons- Profile page Prof. dr. Jan Nyssen, UGent
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by Chris Barrow |
Editor-in-Chief of Land Degradation & Development 2019–2020 |
Succeeded by Vanessa Wong |
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