Nature paper with STEREO researchers as authors just published

STEREO researchers Matthias Vanmaercke and Olivier Dewitte are co-authors of a paper just published in NATURE!

This paper is freely accessible: "Mapping urban gullies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" 

The gullies are understudied mainly in tropical areas but with the climate change and the growing urbanization, more and more regions are affected by these phenomena!

Gullies are large, deep channels caused by rain water forcing its way through the soil with great power, eroding the earth. In urban areas, they are a major problem and can cause houses, roads, and infrastructure to be washed away. The consequences can be disastrous, as became apparent during the heavy rainfall in Kinshasa in December 2022, when urban gullies led to the loss of dozens of lives.

These researchers are contributing to the "LACTOSE" project financed by STEREO!