Dr Ana Andries
ºÚÁÏÉç
Biography
Dr Ana Andries is a Senior Lecturer in GIS, Remote Sensing and Sustainability Assessment at the ºÚÁÏÉç, with over a decade of experience in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and Earth Observation (EO) for environmental sustainability. Her work sits at the intersection of EO science, sustainability policy, and decision support, with particular expertise in translating complex spatial and environmental data into actionable evidence for policy, practice, and conservation.
Her research spans biodiversity conservation, habitat mapping, soil health, carbon sequestration, and climate change adaptation and resilience, alongside broader sustainability challenges linked to poverty, inequality, education, and governance. She has developed a strong interdisciplinary profile that combines advanced technical expertise in EO, spatial analysis, and environmental assessment with qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and stakeholder engagement.
Dr Andries holds a BSc in Environmental Geography (University Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Romania), an MSc in Sustainable Development (University Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Romania), an MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing (University of South Wales), and a PhD in Environment and Sustainability from the ºÚÁÏÉç. Her doctoral and subsequent research have focused on the use of EO to support Sustainable Development Goal monitoring and sustainability indicators. Her work in this area has gained international recognition.
At the ºÚÁÏÉç’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability, she teaches and leads modules in GIS and Remote Sensing, Environmental Assessment, Ai and Sustainability and Environmental Auditing. She leads Space4Sustainability, an initiative that advances the use of satellite data and spatial technologies for sustainability policy and practice, and plays a co-leading role in Space4Nature, a collaborative project that integrates very high-resolution satellite imagery, citizen science, and machine learning to support habitat mapping and biodiversity decision-making.
In parallel, Dr Andries has led research on conservation and rural enterprise in Uganda, using EO technologies to establish carbon sequestration baselines in tropical forest landscapes and assess the environmental implications of ecolodge development. Across her projects, her work consistently focuses on creating practical, decision-ready evidence for governments, NGOs, land managers, and local communities.
Before joining academia, she gained industry experience as a GIS Quality Control Specialist at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), part of the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), where she worked on EU-funded projects. This early experience strengthened her applied understanding of geospatial data quality, land management, and the operational use of spatial information in policy contexts.
For more information about her research and projects, see the Space4Sustainability initiative at the ºÚÁÏÉç.
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Areas of specialism
My qualifications
The purpose of the PhD "Contribution of Earth observation data to support SDG indicators: An analytical framework and related case studies" was to critically analyse the potential of Earth Observation (EO) to populate the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators.
News
In the media
ResearchResearch interests
Earth Observation
GIS
Remote sensing
Data analysis
Biodiversity
Carbon sequestration
Soil Health
Climate Change
Social deprivation
Corruption
Research projects
This three-year project will see the ºÚÁÏÉç and the ºÚÁÏÉç Wildlife Trust working in partnership with Buglife and the Painshill Park Trust. The team will enlist the help of the public to inform their work in the newly emerging field of Earth Observation – combining satellite technology and artificial intelligence – to monitor and improve wildlife habitats.
Conservation and Rural Enterprise project was in collaboration with Belmont University and Impact Bridges, funded by Templeton Foundation, we developed a playbook for investors interested in building ecolodges.
playbook:
We also have a publication currently under review, and the manuscript is available open access on this platform: (The study used satellite data to map habitats in Budongo Forest and estimate carbon sequestration, creating a baseline before the ecolodge began operating. The forest is also internationally known for its chimpanzee populations. As part of the project, we also produced a map of chimpanzee habitat quality)
Examining Adaptation and Resilience Frameworks: Data quality’s role in supporting climate effortsThe policies, frameworks, and indicators for adaptation and resilience to climate change are evolving quickly. Previous studies have shown that there are effective strategies for building resilience, but there are gaps in our understanding of how to measure their effectiveness. More research is needed to address local needs and challenges and to develop effective methods for planning, monitoring, reporting, and verification. Interviews with stakeholders revealed concerns about the lack of local indicators, challenges in implementation, and the absence of a common approach for developing, monitoring, and evaluating plans. Respondents stressed the importance of using reliable methods and qualified personnel for data collection, and of developing a common approach for measuring adaptation and resilience, as well as local-specific strategies. Effective adaptation and resilience plans are essential for responding to climate change, but there are still challenges in the planning, implementation, and monitoring phases.
The full list of projects can be accessed here: /¾±²Ô²õ³Ù¾±³Ù³Ü³Ù±ð-²õ³Ü²õ³Ù²¹¾±²Ô²¹²ú¾±±ô¾±³Ù²â/°ù±ð²õ±ð²¹°ù³¦³ó/²õ±è²¹³¦±ð-4-²õ³Ü²õ³Ù…
Research interests
Earth Observation
GIS
Remote sensing
Data analysis
Biodiversity
Carbon sequestration
Soil Health
Climate Change
Social deprivation
Corruption
Research projects
This three-year project will see the ºÚÁÏÉç and the ºÚÁÏÉç Wildlife Trust working in partnership with Buglife and the Painshill Park Trust. The team will enlist the help of the public to inform their work in the newly emerging field of Earth Observation – combining satellite technology and artificial intelligence – to monitor and improve wildlife habitats.
Conservation and Rural Enterprise project was in collaboration with Belmont University and Impact Bridges, funded by Templeton Foundation, we developed a playbook for investors interested in building ecolodges.
playbook:
We also have a publication currently under review, and the manuscript is available open access on this platform: (The study used satellite data to map habitats in Budongo Forest and estimate carbon sequestration, creating a baseline before the ecolodge began operating. The forest is also internationally known for its chimpanzee populations. As part of the project, we also produced a map of chimpanzee habitat quality)
The policies, frameworks, and indicators for adaptation and resilience to climate change are evolving quickly. Previous studies have shown that there are effective strategies for building resilience, but there are gaps in our understanding of how to measure their effectiveness. More research is needed to address local needs and challenges and to develop effective methods for planning, monitoring, reporting, and verification. Interviews with stakeholders revealed concerns about the lack of local indicators, challenges in implementation, and the absence of a common approach for developing, monitoring, and evaluating plans. Respondents stressed the importance of using reliable methods and qualified personnel for data collection, and of developing a common approach for measuring adaptation and resilience, as well as local-specific strategies. Effective adaptation and resilience plans are essential for responding to climate change, but there are still challenges in the planning, implementation, and monitoring phases.
The full list of projects can be accessed here: /¾±²Ô²õ³Ù¾±³Ù³Ü³Ù±ð-²õ³Ü²õ³Ù²¹¾±²Ô²¹²ú¾±±ô¾±³Ù²â/°ù±ð²õ±ð²¹°ù³¦³ó/²õ±è²¹³¦±ð-4-²õ³Ü²õ³Ù…
Sustainable development goals
My research interests are related to the following:
Publications
Highlights
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Lynch, J.; Woolliams, E.R., Examining Adaptation and Resilience Frameworks: Data Quality’s Role in Supporting Climate EffortsSustainability 2023, 15(18), 1364 DOI:
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Sadhukhan, J.; Martinez-Hernandez, E.; Amezcua-Allieri, M.A.; Aburto, J. Potential of Using Night-Time Light to Proxy Social Indicators for Sustainable Development. Remote Sens. 2023, 15, 1209, DOI:
- Andries, A., et al. "Using data from earth observation to support sustainable development indicators: An analysis of the literature and challenges for the future." Sustainability 14.3 (2022): 1191 (eBook), DOI:
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Lynch, J.; Woolliams, E.R. Assessing Education from Space: Using Satellite Earth Observation to Quantify Overcrowding in Primary Schools in Rural Areas of Nigeria. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1408. DOI:
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Lynch, J.; Woolliams, E.R. Using Data from Earth Observation to Support Sustainable Development Indicators: An Analysis of the Literature and Challenges for the Future. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1191, DOI:
- Andries, A. (2022). Contribution of Earth observation data to support SDG indicators: An analytical framework and related case studies [ºÚÁÏÉç].
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Lynch, J.; Mota, B.; Woolliams, E.R. Can Current Earth Observation Technologies Provide Useful Information on Soil Organic Carbon Stocks for Environmental Land Management Policy? Sustainability 2021, 13, 12074. DOI:
- Andries, A.; Murphy, R.J.; Morse, S.; Lynch, J. Earth Observation for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification within Environmental Land Management Policy. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9105. DOI:
- Andries, A.; Morse, S.; Murphy, R.J.; Lynch, J.; Woolliams, E.R. Seeing Sustainability from Space: Using Earth Observation Data to Populate the UN Sustainable Development Goal Indicators. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5062. DOI:
- Andries, A, Morse, S, Murphy, R, Lynch, J, Woolliams, E, Fonweban, J. Translation of Earth observation data into sustainable development indicators: An analytical framework. Sustainable Development.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2019;&²Ô²ú²õ±è;27:&²Ô²ú²õ±è;366–&²Ô²ú²õ±è;376.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
- Andries, A, Morse, S, Murphy, R, Lynch, J, Woolliams, E, Fonweban, J. Translation of Earth observation data into sustainable development indicators, ISDRS24 Conference Messina Italy June2018,