"Multiple factor regression analysis of vegetation changes and land degradation in drylands" by Maria Chzhen.

International Science and Engineering Fair 2022, project EAEV075. Abstract: https://abstracts.societyforscience.org/Home/FullAbstract?ISEFYears=0%2C&Category=Any%20Category&AllAbstracts=True&FairCountry=Any%20Country&FairState=Any%20State&ProjectId=22796

Summary The purpose of the study was to quantify the effect of various factors, including drought, precipitation, CO2 emissions, forest area, and electrical energy consumption, on the vegetation cover of various regions using multiple factor regression and identify measures that humans can take to increase the vegetation cover.

• Conducted a comprehensive study on desertification, focusing on its impact on 2 billion people in drylands and potential displacement of 50 million by 2030.
• Processed over 67GB of geospatial data from sources including the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Terraclimate, employing Python and its libraries (Numpy, Cartopy, Scipy, Scikit-learn, Matplotlib) for robust data analysis.
• Utilized multiple factor regression analysis to assess the influence of various factors like drought, precipitation, CO2 emissions, forest area, and electrical energy consumption on vegetation cover.
• Identified electrical energy consumption as the most significant factor influencing land degradation, followed by CO2 emissions and drought, using statistical and machine learning techniques.
• Developed region-specific strategies to combat desertification, underlining the importance of this work for eco-safety, biodiversity, human health, and sustainable development.

Gold medal, 11 special awards, and a trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair at the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (Top 5 out of 161 projects at BASEF).

Special awards:

1. Canadian Nuclear Society (Golden Horseshoe Branch) Awards - Senior
2. ArcelorMittal Dofasco Environment Award
3. Association for Women Geoscientists Award
4. Mohawk College Mathematics Awards - Senior
5. Laurentian Chapter of SETAC Award
6. Dillon Consulting Biological Sciences Award
7. Geography Award
8. Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) Award - First
9. International Science & Engineering Affiliated Fair Awards - Ricoh USA, Inc. Award
10. Gold Merit Award
11. ISEF Trip Award

ISEF: Third place in Earth and Environmental Sciences ($1,000).