Making climate information useful for farming
Climate. Crops. Decisions.
I’m Victor Nyabuti Ong’era, a PhD researcher working on climate-resilient farming systems. I use crop models, seasonal forecasts, remote sensing, and environmental data to study practical adaptation choices.
Current work
I’m interested in the point where climate data stops being an abstract projection and starts helping someone make a decision.
- Climate-resilient farming systems — using crop simulation models and climate information to support agricultural adaptation.
- Remote sensing for crop and disease monitoring — linking field observations, phenology, and crop modelling for wheat systems.
- Wheat adaptation under climate change — downscaling climate projections and testing adaptation options for wheat systems.
Research interests
- Crop simulation models
- Seasonal climate forecasts
- Climate-resilient farming systems
- Remote sensing for agriculture
- Environmental data analysis for decision-making
Connect
CV
PhD researcher working on the links between climate, agriculture, and decision support, with experience across crop modelling, environmental analysis, and applied data work.
Highlights
- Applies DSSAT, APSIM, and STICS to climate-risk and agricultural systems questions.
- Works with R, Python, Bash, and CDO tools for environmental data analysis.
- Combines field observations, remote sensing, and modelling in climate-agriculture research.
Experience
Visiting Researcher — Aarhus University
June 2025 – December 2025
Conducted field campaigns, integrated phenological and remote sensing datasets with crop models, and contributed to wheat growth and disease monitoring research.
Intern — CASSANDRA Lab, University of Milan
March 2023 – October 2023
Analyzed climate change impacts on wheat across countries, processed historical and future climate data in R, and explored adaptation strategies through modelling and sensitivity analysis.
Data Analyst — Pallon
March 2020 – November 2022
Delivered data analysis, dashboards, and documentation to support business decision-making and improve data literacy for non-technical stakeholders.
Intern — General Directorate of Water Management (OVF)
July 2019 – December 2019
Supported suitability analysis, site preparation, and design interpretation for water-management projects.
Education
- PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change, IUSS Pavia — 2023–2026
- MSc in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability Science, University of Milan — 2021–2023
- BSc in Environmental Engineering, University of Public Service, Budapest — 2016–2021
Skills
DSSAT · APSIM · STICS · R · Python · Bash · CDO · AutoCAD · EPANET · Remote sensing
Profiles
Research
This is a compact portfolio of projects around crop simulation, climate services, remote sensing, and environmental data analysis.
Climate-resilient farming systems
PhD research · Crop simulation and agricultural adaptation
This is the work I keep coming back to: how to make crop models and climate information useful for actual agricultural decisions, not just for reports.
I use DSSAT, APSIM, STICS, seasonal forecasts, and environmental datasets to ask practical questions about risk, timing, and adaptation in farming systems under climate variability.
What interests me most is the translation problem: taking technical modelling work and turning it into something a farmer, advisor, or planner could plausibly use.
Remote sensing for crop and disease monitoring
Visiting research · Field observations, phenology, and crop modelling
During my stay at Aarhus University, I worked on field campaigns, agronomic measurements, chlorophyll observations, leaf area index, biomass, soil sampling, and the work of making these pieces talk to each other.
One part I especially liked was linking phenology and remote-sensing data with crop models for wheat growth and disease monitoring, including yellow rust, powdery mildew, and Septoria.
This project sits at the boundary between field evidence, model calibration, and decision support.
Wheat adaptation under climate change
Research internship · Downscaling climate projections and testing adaptation options
At the CASSANDRA Lab in Milan, I worked on wheat under climate change across different countries, with a focus on what adaptation looks like once broad statements become concrete data questions.
That meant working with historical weather records, future climate datasets in R, and stochastic weather generation for downscaled scenario analysis.
The project strengthened my interest in connecting climate-data work to agricultural choices rather than treating projections as an end in themselves.
Profiles
Playground
The practical side of my work: repositories, tools, side projects, and guides.
OmniCurtain
Interaction, interface, and visual experimentation outside formal research work.
GitStars
A compact utility for shaping and surfacing GitHub activity.
ssh-client
A small SSH-focused build for remote workflows and command-line access.
IUSS Pavia CARISMA website
I am a main contributor to the group’s public website, including its structure and content.
IUSS HPC Cluster guide
A standalone guide to shell usage, Slurm, environments, and practical HPC work.
Updates
Short notes, practical references, project updates, and tutorials.
KUCCPS Degree Cutoff Points (2025/2026)
Download the official KUCCPS cutoff PDF, or search the selected entries below.