- hubert.hirwa@famu.edu
Lucy Moten Bldg., Rm. #101
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday • 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fridays • By Appointment or Online (via Zoom) • 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Dr. Hubert Hirwa is the Assistant Director of the Sustainability Institute, School of the Environment at Florida A&M University (FAMU). Hubert is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist focused on solutions-driven approaches to ecological challenges in coupled human and natural systems. He teaches the Risk Communication course. Hubert has a background in Ecology, specialization in dryland ecosystem management and food systems. He has experience in exploring the socio-agroecological activities for a sustainable agriculture perspective from local to global scale, as well as the water-energy-food-biodiversity-health nexus. Through his research, he uses geospatial data and advanced statistics to better understand human-natural systems interactions across scales of space and time.
Dr. Hubert has worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University, where he contributed to the quantification of the impacts of multiple shocks on food systems in the U.S. Midwest and beyond. He has also worked as an Assistant Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK). Hubert worked with environmental impact assessment (EIA) authorities, consultant companies, and academic institutions. The specificity of his research approach stems from my knowledge of soil sciences and environmental management, environmental economics, sustainable agriculture, and knowledge integration.
- Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus
- GIS and Remote Sensing Technology
- Climate modeling
- Agrarian Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Machine Learning and Deep Learning
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences • 2023
Ph.D. in Ecology, Spec. of Dryland Ecosystem Management and Food Security - University of Padua (Italy) • 2024
M.S in Sustainable Agriculture - University of Lay Adventists of Kigali • 2018
M.S in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Management - University of Rwanda • 2014
B.S in Soil Sciences and Environmental Management
- Assistant Director • 2024 – Present
Florida A&M University (FAMU), Tallahassee, FL - Post-Doctoral Research Associate • 2023
Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI - Assistant Lecturer and Researcher • 2019
University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda - Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Officer • 2019
Overseas Infrastructure Alliance (India) (Pvt) Ltd - Environmental Consultant • 2019
Irona Consultants Ltd, Kigali, Rwanda - Environmental Facilitator • 2016
Rwanda Environmental Management Authority, Gasabo, Rwanda
Selected publications
1. Hirwa H., Li F., Measho S., Chen G., Muhirwa F., Zhang Q., Kayiranga A., Qiao Y.,
Leng P., Tian C., Yang G., Baranyika J.B., Wang S., Habimana I. S., Izerimana E.,
Peng Y., Ngwijabagabo H., Niyonzima T., (2023). Understanding grain virtual water
flux dynamics and drivers from a socio-ecohydrological perspective: A case study of
landlocked developing countries of Africa. Journal of Cleaner Production 413 (2023),
137555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137555.
2. Hirwa H., Ngwijabagabo H., Minani M., Tuyishime C. S. P., Habimana I., (2023).
Geospatial assessment of urban flood susceptibility using AHP-based multi-criteria
technique: Case study of Musanze, Rwanda. Journal of Engineering, Science, Technology
and Environment (2023), 5 (1). https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/rjeste.v5il.6.
3. Hirwa H., Li F., Qiao Y., Measho S., Muhirwa F., Tian C., Leng F., Ingabire R.,
Itangishaka A. C., Chen G., and Turyasingura B., (2022). Climate change–drylands–food
security nexus in Africa: From the perspective of technical advances, challenges,
and opportunities. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:851249. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.851249.
4. Hirwa, H., Peng, Y., Zhang, Q., Qiao Y., Leng F., Tian C., Yang G., Muhirwa F.,
Diop S., Kayiranga A., Li F., Chen G., (2022). Virtual water transfers in Africa:
Assessing topical condition of water scarcity, water savings, and policy implications.
Science of The Total Environment 835, 155343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155343.
5. Hirwa, H., Zhang, Q., Li, F., Qiao Y., Measho S., Muhirwa F., Xu N., Tian C., Cheng
H., Chen G., Ngwijabagabo H., Turyasingura B., Itangishaka A. C., (2022). Water Accounting
and Productivity Analysis to Improve Water Savings of Nile River Basin, East Africa:
From Accountability to Sustainability. Agronomy 12, 818. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy
12040818.
6. Hirwa, H., Zhang, Q., Qiao, Y., Peng Y., Leng F., Tian C., Sayidjakhon K., Li F.,
Kayiranga A., Muhirwa F., Itangishaka A. C., Habiyaremye G., and Ngamiije J., (2021).
Insights on water and climate change in the greater horn of Africa: Connecting virtual
water and water-energy-food-biodiversity-health nexus. Sustainability 13, 6483. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116483.
7. Hirwa H., Nshimiyimana F. X., Tuyishime H., and Shingiro C., (2019). Impact of
mining activities on water quality status at Wolfram Mining and Processing (WMP),
Burera, Rwanda. Journal of Materials and Environmental Sciences, 2019, 10 (12), 1214-1220.
ISSN:2028-2508. CODEN: JMESCN.
8. Hirwa H. et al. (2019)., Evaluation of Soil contamination in mining areas of Rwanda:
The case of Wolfram Mining and Processing (WMP) Ltd, Gifurwe, Burera District. American
Journal of Water Science and Engineering (AJWSE), 2019, 5 (1): 9-15.
9. Hirwa H. (2018). Effect of P fertilizer use on rice (Oryza sativa) productivity
in Southern Province of Rwanda, Rwasave marshland. Journal of Agriculture and Research
(IJRDO). ISSN: 2455-7668.
10. Hirwa H. and Maniragaba A. (2017). Effect of water variation on Hydropower Plant
Functionality: A case of Ntaruka Hydropower. East African Journal of Science and Technology,
Vol.7 Issue1, 2017.
11. Hirwa H. and Maniragaba A. (2017). Evaluation of tree seed germination capacity:
Eucalyptus microcorys in Southern province of Rwanda. East African Journal of Science
and Technology, Vol.7 Issue 1, 2017.
Book Chapters
1. Li F., Salif, D. Hirwa H*. Maesho, S. Ning X., Tian C., Qiao, Y., Faye C., Cisse,
B., Guisse A., Leng, P., Peng Y., Chen, G., (2024). Dryland Socio-ecological systems
in Africa. Book. B. Fu and M. Stafford-Smith (eds.), Dryland Social-Ecological Systems
in Changing Environments, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9375-8_9. *Corresponding
author.
- Director Scholarship Award (Category 1), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural
Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences • August 19, 2022
- Excellent International Student Award, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences • July 6, 2022
- Director Scholarship Award (Category 2), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural
Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences • August 2021
- Chinese Academy Sciences-The World Academy Sciences President’s Fellowship Award • June 26, 2019
- Best graduate student in Master of Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Management, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali • January 25, 2018
- EVS 4636 or EVS 4930 Risk Communication
