Alexander
Prishchepov
Associate Professor Dr.
University of Copenhagen
Dr. Alexander Prishchepov is an associate professor in the Geography Section at the University of Copenhagen, and is also affiliated with Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (JLU), Germany. He received his Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he focused on Remote Sensing of Environment and Land-Use Modeling.
Alexander's research falls within the field of Land System Science. He conducts integrative work to understand the patterns, drivers, and implications of land-cover change, with a focus on agricultural expansion and decline, rural-urban transitions, and the human impact on environmental systems. He uses a variety of methods, including satellite remote sensing, participatory approaches, spatial econometrics, and machine learning, to reveal the patterns of landscape change and its drivers. His research aims to answer several key questions, including:
- What methods are best suited to monitor the status of current and past landscapes?
- What factors contribute to the formation and transformation of landscapes?
- What are the consequences of landscape and land-use transitions for the environment and society, and what solutions are available to help guide land-use development pathways?
Alexander is particularly well-known for his research on global farmland abandonment and changing land-use intensity, and he is among the coordinators of the GLP working group focused on this topic. He has geographic expertise in land transitions in Northern Eurasia, including post-Soviet countries, but he also conducts research in the Global South.
His mission is to conduct relevant research, teaching and ad-hoc practical works in order to address Sustainable Development Goals: SDG15 Life on Land, SDG2 Zero Hunger, SDG4 Quality Education, SDG13 Climate Action, SDG15 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG1 No Poverty, SDG16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.