Dr Johanes Belle holds a PhD in Environmental Management with a focus on Eco-DRR/CCA, Master’s degree in disaster management, Advanced University Diploma in Disaster Management, BA Honours in Geography, BA + Ed, Diploma in Marketing and other qualifications.

Dr Belle has worked for thirty-one (31) years in three different countries in Africa (Cameroon, Lesotho and South Africa) as an educator, administrator and manager. He is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer, Programme Director and researcher at the University of the Free State-Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (UFS-DIMTEC). He is also the Acting Director of UFS-DiMTEC

Dr Belle has published more than 20 articles in International Peer Reviewed and DHET accredited journals; three book chapters and has supervised and graduated more than 40 Master`s students and a PhD student.

He is a Disaster Management Professional and an Environmentalist; specialized in Biodiversity and Conservation with special interest on Eco-DRR/CCA and wetlands.

Dr Belle is a councilor and Board Member of Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA) and he was the DMISA-FS Regional Chairperson from 2013-2020. He is a trained assessor with SAQA in Disaster Management and holds the “Disaster Management Professional” designation of DMISA. He is also affiliated to many professional bodies.

Dr Belle speaks two international languages (English and French) and he likes soccer and gardening as hobbies.

1. 2021: Determinants of profit efficiency among smallholder sheep farmers in South Africa. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, DOI: 10.1080/20421338.2021.1879510
2. 2021: Satellite-based application in drought disaster assessment using terra MOD13Q1 data across free state province, South Africa. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112112
3. 2021: Measuring production performance of Moringa oleifera. International Journal of Vegetable Science.ttps://doi.org/10.1080/19315260.2020.1858217
4. 2021: Systematic mapping of disaster risk management research and the role of innovative technology. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(4), 4289-4306. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-020-10791-3
5. 2021: Spatial assessment of drought disasters, vulnerability, severity and water shortages: a potential drought disaster mitigation strategy. Natural Hazards, 105(3), 2735-2754. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-020-04421-x 
6. 2020: Systematic mapping of disaster risk management research and the role of innovative technology. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10791-3
7. 2020: Exploring the emerging evolution trends of disaster risk reduction research: a global scenario. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 18(3), 673-690. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-020-02847-1
8. 2020: An evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Ga-segonyana municipality area, Kuruman, Northern Cape in South Africa. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. Vol.11. ISSN2352801X https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100389
9. 2020: Understanding the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers: Evidence from land reform beneficiaries in South Africa. Land Use Policy. ISSN 02648377 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104858
10. 2020: Determinants of Relevant Constraints Inhibiting Farmers’ Adoption of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in South Africa.Journal of Asian and African Studies. ISSN 00219096

     https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0021909620934836    

11. 2019: Behavioral factors contributing to the transmission of HIV and AIDS amongst young women of Mbabane in Swaziland. Africa Health Science. Vol 19(3), pp 2302-2311. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i3.2. ISSN: 1680-6905
12. 2019: Culture, gender bias and the vulnerability of black African women to HIV and AIDS: a study of Lesotho. Indilinga – African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems vol 18 (1) 2019
13. 2018: Managing Wetlands for Climate Change Adaptation: A case study of the eastern Free State, South Africa. International Journal of Science and Research Methodology Vol 9(1). ISSN 2454-2008
14. 2018: Managing Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction: A case study of the eastern Free State, South Africa. Jamba-Journal of Disaster Risk Study 10(1), a400.
15. 2017: Building Resilience in Natural Capital to Reduce Disaster Risks and Adapt to Climate Change: A Case of Wetlands in the Eastern Free State; South Africa. American Journal of Environmental Science, 13 (5): 358.377
16. 2017: Assessing communal farmers’ preparedness to drought in the Umguza District, Zimbabwe. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 22: 194-203
17. 2015: Vulnerability Assessment of Agricultural Drought Hazard: A Case of Koti-Se-Phola Community Council, Thabana Morena, Mafeteng District in Lesotho. Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters, 5 (2).
18. 2014: Zonkizizwe Extension Six Settlers’ dolomite sinkhole risk awareness Disaster Advances, Vol. 7 (10): 60-68
19. 2014: Managing the Limbe Floods: Considerations for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cameroon. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 5: 147–156
20. 2013: Attitude of Lesotho health care workers towards HIV/AIDS and impact of HIV/AIDS on the population structure. African Health Sciences 13(4): 117-1125

2020. Spatio-environmental distribution of drought disaster events: A space-based approach using Terra-MODIS Vegetation Index. Accepted in the book title “Remote Sensing Applications in Disaster Management to be published in Taylor and Francis” ISBN 9780367502393

2020: Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020: acting today, protecting tomorrow, EUR 30183 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-18182-8, doi:10.2760/571085, JRC114026

- Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and Climate change adaptation (EbA)

- Nature based solutions (NBS)

-Disaster Risk Management

- Disasters and the environment nexus

-Environmental emergencies including droughts and fire

- Conservation and biodiversity

- DIML5810

- DIMD7910

-DIMR5810

-DIM 791

- MOB 708

- Board member of the Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA)-Free State Region

- Councillor of DMISA

- National Focal Point and Regional Advisory Group member of the Global Network for Disaster Risk Reduction for South Africa

- Board member of the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association

-Permanent member of the Free State Provincial Disaster Management Advisory Forum

-Member of the Free State Rotary Club

-Chairperson of the Catholic Men Association, Sacred Heart Cathedral Bloemfontein

- Active member of the Free State Red Cross Society