Contact Details    

nobubelo.mpofu@nust.ac.zw

Courses being Taught    

Professional Communication Skills & Soil Mechanics

Education including Awards and Honours                                 

Master of Science in Hydrology, University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Graduation Date: September, 2025
Honours: Cum Laude
Scholarships: Water Resources Commission of South Africa Bursary

Bachelor of Engineering Honours Degree in Civil and Water Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Graduation Date: November 2021
Honours: First Class

Awards: 

4th Year NUST Book Prize, Wiseman Teta Award for the best dissertation in the department of Civil and Water Engineering
Scholarships: Joshua Mqabuko Scholarship

Work History (Public/Private Sectors)    

Civil and Water Graduate Trainee, Dabane Trust Water Workshops, Bulawayo, 2021-2023

Civil and Water Intern, Dabane Trust Water Workshops, Bulawayo 2019-2021

Civil and Structural Intern, RJK Consulting Engineers, Bulawayo, 2019

International Work Experience    

Research Assistant, University of KwaZulu Natal

Membership of Professional Organizations    

ZIE Student member

Research Interests    

·        Water Quality Modelling

·        Hydrology and Climate Resilience

·        UAV Remote Sensing Applications

·        GIS and Spatial Analysis

·        Machine Learning for Environmental Monitoring

·        Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

·        Climate-Smart Water and Agricultural Systems and Infrastructure

·        Sustainable Water Resource Management

Research Groups/Consortia    

1. Ngwenya, Nobubelo and Bangira, Tsitsi and Sibanda, Mbulisi and Gokool, Shaeden and Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe, Remote sensing chlorophyll-a (chl-a) as a proxy for Cyanobacteria in a Small Reservoir using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6508219
2. Ngwenya, N., Mabhaudhi, T. and Bangira, T., 2025. Assessing cyanobacteria in a small reservoir using unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs): a case study of High Flight Farm Dam. https://hdl.handle.net/10413/24126
3. Ngwenya, N., Bangira, T., Sibanda, M., Kebede Gurmessa, S. and Mabhaudhi, T., 2025. UAV-based remote sensing of chlorophyll-a concentrations in inland water bodies: A systematic review. Geocarto International, 40(1), p.2452246. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2025.2452246
4. Lazurko, A., Lautze, J., Hussey, S., Muzarabani, C., Ngwenya, N. and Ebrahim, G., 2024. Assessing sand dams for contributions to local water security and drought resilience in the semi-arid eastern Shashe catchment, Zimbabwe. Regional Environmental Change, 24(2), p.36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-024-02201-y
5. Castelli, G., Piemontese, L., Quinn, R., Aerts, J., Elsner, P., Ertsen, M., Hussey, S., Leal Filho, W., Limones, N., Mpofu, B., Neufeld, D.G., and Ngwenya. N, 2022. Sand dams for sustainable water management: challenges and future opportunities. Science of the Total Environment, 838, p.156126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156126

Community Service/Engagement

Undergraduate mentorship

High school outreach