Dr Onalenna Gwate

Research Associate

T: +27 58 718 5407
E: onalennag37@gmail.com


Research:

Dr Onalenna Gwate is a registered Environmental Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and a registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner with the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA). He also serves as a Research Associate at the University of the Free State, South Africa, contributing to the RangeX Project and mountain biodiversity monitoring initiatives (GLORIA and MIREN) in the Maloti-Drakensberg region. His interdisciplinary expertise lies in environmental management, climate change, rangeland ecology, and ecosystem services, with strong integration of GIS and remote sensing tools for environmental monitoring and analysis.

Dr Gwate has published widely in peer-reviewed journals such as Global Ecology and Biogeography, Journal of Arid Environments, Ecohydrology, South African Journal of Botany, and Water SA. His research contributes to understanding ecosystem functioning, hydrological processes, land degradation, and sustainable resource management in semi-arid and montane environments.

His current research focuses on climate–vegetation interactions, ecosystem-based livelihoods, and resilience of mountain and rangeland ecosystems under changing climatic and land-use conditions. He has over two decades of experience as an environmental consultant and researcher, having led and contributed to numerous Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and ecological monitoring projects for government, NGOs, and development agencies including FAO, UNESCO, and the African Development Bank.