January 15, 1999

Profile: Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

Dr Sanchez-Azofeifa at the EOSL lab

Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa emanates enthusiasm as he talks about the department's brand new Earth Observation Systems Laboratory. The EOSL is instrumental in Sanchez-Azofeifa's research focusing on changes in land cover, and biodiversity. The laboratory also enables geological remote sensing, under the direction of Dr. Benoit Rivard.

Although research is his passion, Sanchez-Azofeifa says he also enjoys interacting with students, "especially showing them things they have never seen." He has much that is new to show them. After six years at the University of New Hampshire, three as a Fulbright Scholar, he returned to his native Costa Rica to spend two years at the University of Costa Rica as the director of geomatics - geographic information systems. His research dealt with the sustainability of natural resources and ways to balance human needs with the preservation of nature. He is proud to have contributed to producing the country's first inventory of forest resources.

He is continuing his research in Costa Rica. "Some of the things I am looking at are how national parks are serving the purpose of conservation and, if there is encroachment, trying to determine why that is."

A very exciting new field in which Costa Rica is a world leader is bioprospecting, says Sanchez-Azofeifa. "It's looking at biological resources for their potential economic value." He works with universities, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies to help identify land areas where sampling plants, insects, microorganisms or fragrances might yield the best results.

Now that he is here, he is excited about starting to work with the Alberta Environmental Protection agency to map some of Alberta's land resources.

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