Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Mbugua Jacqueline Muthoni
Section
Graduate School of Engineering
Job title
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor(Research)

Research History 2

  • 2025/04 - Present
    Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Special appointed assistant professor (research)

  • 2024/06 - 2025/03
    Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Special Appointed Researcher

Education 4

  • Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Doctoral Program

    2018/10 - 2021/09

  • Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Program

    2016/10 - 2018/09

  • Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research Student

    2016/04 - 2016/09

  • Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Center for Disaster Management, Disaster Mitigation and Sustainable Development Bachelor of Science Program

    2009/08 - 2013/12

Professional Memberships 3

  • Japan Geoscience Union (JPGU)

    2025/02 - Present

  • Japan Association for Nilo-Ethiopian Studies (JANES)

    2020/03 - Present

  • Japan Society of Civil Engineering (JSCE)

    2018/03 - Present

Research Interests 5

  • Endorheic lakes

  • Land cover

  • Water resources

  • Climate change

  • Hydrology

Research Areas 1

  • Social infrastructure (civil Engineering, architecture, disaster prevention) / Hydroengineering / Hydrology

Awards 1

  1. Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarship

    2016/04 Ministry of Education, Culture Sports, Science and Technology- Japan

Papers 6

  1. Wetland loss amplifies regional heat exposure: insights from the 2023 Southeast Asia heatwave Peer-reviewed

    Jacqueline Muthoni Mbugua, Yusuke Hiraga, Chang Liu, Jose Angelo Hokson, So Kazama

    Frontiers in Climate 8 2026/10/14

    Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

    DOI: 10.3389/fclim.2026.1843008  

    eISSN: 2624-9553

    More details Close

    Wetlands play a crucial role in regulating regional climate through their effects on surface energy balance and evapotranspiration. However, rapid wetland loss in Southeast Asia has raised concerns about its potential to intensify extreme heat exposure during heatwaves. This study investigates the impact of wetland loss on regional temperature and human heat stress during the 2023 heatwave in the Cambodia Lower Mekong Delta (CLMD). Using the WRF model coupled with the Noah-MP land surface scheme, we conducted high-resolution time-lagged ensemble simulations (30 members per scenario) under three land cover scenarios: baseline, historical wetland extent, and current wetland extent, with wetland land-cover properties prescribed and soils initialized at full saturation to represent an idealized upper-bound thermodynamic scenario. Additional simulations were performed using a Pseudo Global Warming (PGW) approach with monthly mean temperature deltas derived from 29 CMIP6 global climate models under SSP2-4.5. Results show ensemble-mean near-surface cooling of 2.9 °C (historical extent) and 2.3 °C (current extent) over wetland-covered areas, with cooling extending beyond wetland boundaries; peak-hour spatial cooling ranges from 1 to 5 °C at the event maximum. Under the temperature-perturbed PGW simulations, similar spatial cooling patterns persist, indicating that the modeled cooling response continues under the applied thermodynamic warming. The combined scenario of climate warming and wetland loss indicates a potential for amplified heat exposure. Although the reduction in simplified Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (sWBGT) under the wetland scenarios was modest (1–2 °C) and did not shift stress categories, it remains relevant in terms of reducing absolute heat exposure. This study underscores the importance of wetlands as a potential heat-mitigation factor against heat extremes and introduces a reproducible sensitivity framework for integrating wetland changes into regional climate modeling. The simulated cooling represents an upper-bound thermodynamic response to the prescribed wetland conditions rather than a direct estimate of the real-world magnitude of cooling caused by historical wetland loss. These findings highlight the potential role of preserving and restoring wetland ecosystems as part of climate adaptation strategies in heat-vulnerable regions.

  2. Numerical experiments of cloud seeding for mitigating localization of heavy rainfall: a case study of Mesoscale Convective System in Japan Peer-reviewed

    Yusuke Hiraga, Jacqueline Muthoni Mbugua, Shunji Kotsuki, Yoshiharu Suzuki, Shu-Hua Chen, Atsushi Hamada, Kazuaki Yasunaga, Takuya Funatomi

    Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2026/03/11

    DOI: 10.5194/nhess-26-1287-2026  

  3. Recent Advances in Long-Term Wind-Speed and -Power Forecasting: A Review Peer-reviewed

    Jacqueline Muthoni Mbugua, Yusuke Hiraga

    Climate 13 (8) 155-155 2025/07/23

    Publisher: MDPI AG

    DOI: 10.3390/cli13080155  

    eISSN: 2225-1154

    More details Close

    This review examines advancements and methodologies in long-term wind-speed and -power forecasting. It emphasizes the importance of these techniques in integrating wind energy into power systems. Covering a range of forecasting timeframes from monthly to multiyear projections, this paper highlights the diversity of applications and approaches. These applications and approaches are essential for managing the inherent variability and unpredictability of wind energy. Various forecasting methods, including statistical models, machine-learning techniques, and hybrid models, are discussed in detail. The review demonstrates how these methods improve forecast accuracy and reliability across different temporal and geographical scales. It also identifies significant challenges such as model complexity, data limitations, and the need to accommodate regional variations. Future improvements in wind forecasting include enhancing model integration, employing higher resolution data, and fostering collaborative research to further refine forecasting methodologies. This comprehensive analysis aims to advance knowledge on wind forecasting, facilitate the efficient integration of wind power into global energy systems, and contribute to sustainable energy development goals.

  4. Detecting Irrigation Effect on Surface Temperature using Modis and Land Surface Model in Whole Uzbekistan Peer-reviewed

    Yoshiya Touge, Jacqueline Muthoni Mbugua, So Kazama, Temur Khujanazarov, Kenji Tanaka

    IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 4951-4954 2020/09/26

    Publisher: IEEE

    DOI: 10.1109/igarss39084.2020.9324609  

  5. REMOTE SENSING FOR THE DETECTION OF SALINIZED SOIL USING A MULTISPECTRAL SENSOR IN THE ZERAVSHAN RIVER BASIN Peer-reviewed

    MBUGUA JACQUELINE MUTHONI, YOSHIYA TOUGE, SO KAZAMA, TEMUR KHUJANAZAROV, KENJI TANAKA

    38th IAHR World Congress - "Water: Connecting the World" 38 3635-3641 2019/09/01

    Publisher: The International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR)

    DOI: 10.3850/38wc092019-1452  

    ISSN: 2521-7119

  6. DETECTING CHANGES IN IRRIGATED AREA USING MULTI-TEMPORAL MODIS AND LAND SURFACE MODEL SURFACE TEMPERATURE WITHIN AMU DARYA DELTA Peer-reviewed

    Jacqueline Muthoni MBUGUA, Yoshiya TOUGE, So KAZAMA, Temur KHUJANAZAROV, Kenji TANAKA

    Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. B1 (Hydraulic Engineering) 75 (2) I_277-I_282 2019

    Publisher: Japan Society of Civil Engineers

    DOI: 10.2208/jscejhe.75.2_i_277  

    ISSN: 2185-467X

    eISSN: 2185-467X

Show all ︎Show first 5