Liphapang Khaba

Biography

After completing first degree in 1997, I work in Lesotho as an assistant teacher of high school science and mathematics in 1997 to 1999. In 1999, I registered for a Master of Science in Environmental Science in the University of Botswana under the CFTC (Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation) scholarship award. In 2001, I worked as a hydrologist of the Department of Water Affairs in Lesotho in overseeing national hydrometric activities and data archives. In 2006, I worn Erasmus Mundus scholarship grant to pursue a EuroAquae - Joint Master of Science in Hydro-informatics and Water Management by University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis in France (Coordinator) with my first and second semesters spent in the Newcastle University (UK), third semester in the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary) and fourth semester at the Center of Ecology and Hydrology working on numerical modelling of soil moisture. In 2008, I re-joined the Department of Water Affairs to continue work as a hydrologist, that time putting more focus on modelling to minimize impacts of hydrometric installations on stream flow and roads culverts upstream of palustrine wetlands. In 2010, I started a career as a lecturer at the Lerotholi Polytechnic in Maseru where I taught courses in Land Surveying, GIS, Geology, Environmental Engineering, Ecology and Surface and Groundwater Hydrology. I also spear-headed an innovative research-oriented and industries targeted curriculum review and development in the water and environmental engineering programme of the Lerotholi Polytechnic. In 2012, I attended a training workshop on Soil and Water Conservation in Beijing, hosted by IRTCES, which is where I met my PhD supervisor Dr. Jim Griffiths.  My PhD research at UNNC is on modelling of soil erosion and sediment transport for the Nqoe catchment in Lesotho, along with the Pont Bren catchment in Wales, UK. In this research I put emphasis mainly on the developing and evaluating performance of the near real-time water induced catchment erosion and sediment transport models using free near real-time satellite rainfall.

Research Interest

I have a wide range of research interests. I am interested in researching on the: Conventional versus non-conventional designs, numerical modelling and optimisation of: Water abstraction and distribution infrastructure systems Sanitary and waste water treatment plants Design, numerical modelling, optimisation and applications of renewable energy technologies Simulating impacts of policy change on water management and water resources Development of watersheds numerical models for prediction of soil erosion and reservoirs sedimentation in data sparse environments Development of hydro-software applications