Dr MD Sarwar Sohel
- Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science & Sustainability (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability)
telephone:
01387702036
email:
MDSarwarHossain.Sohel@glasgow.ac.uk
Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science & Sustainability at the University of Glasgow's School of Social & Environmental Sustainability. I am currently Programme Director of the MSc Environmental Risk Management.
Before joining the University of Glasgow, I worked for the Institute of Geography, the University of Bern and the University of Southampton. I was the recipient of Europe's most competitive and prestigious award Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship.
I hold a PhD (2016) in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Southampton, UK, where I specialized in interdisciplinary and social-ecological systems research. Prior to starting my PhD, I completed my MSc (2012) in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
My research focuses mainly on the social-ecological system (SES) approach and modelling with the following research interests:
- Operationalizing the SES approach for sustainability challenges (Water, food insecurity, climate change, and natural hazards) using real-world examples
- Understanding of social-ecological co-evolution and dynamics (e.g. feedback, nonlinearity, delay)
- Defining the limits (Tipping point, Safe and just operating space) of sustainability
I take both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to conceptualizing and modelling social-ecological co-evolution and dynamics.
On the methodological side, I use system dynamics, agent-based and participatory modelling to understand the dynamics of the social-ecological systems. In addition to the modelling approaches, I also use network and time series analysis through statistical and econometric methods to understand the co-evolution and relationships within and between social and ecological systems. In the case of cross-sectional analysis, I am skilled at analysing the “Household Income and Expenditure Survey” datasets collected by national governments and the world bank.
Research interests
My research focuses mainly on how the social-ecological system approach can be applied to sustainability challenges at the local, national and global scale. My research interest spans to:
- Social-ecological systems
- Food Security
- Risk and resilience to natural hazards
- Climate change (Impacts and Adaptation)
- Water resources management
- System dynamics, agent-based and integrated modelling
Interdisciplinary research and sustainability challenges in Deltas and Coastal areas (e.g., Mekong, GBM, Volta, Tana), East African countries (e.g., Zambia, Kenya), and China. I am also interested to explore other areas/countries (e.g., Tunisia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) if the research falls within my research interest.
Opportunity:
If you are interested in joining as a PhD student and postdoc, please contact me at MDSarwarHossain.Sohel@glasgow.ac.uk, to discuss potential ideas (please see the research interests section) and funding opportunities with a brief description of your research interests (one-page max). Please also include an updated curriculum vitae, research skills and experiences (e.g., presentations, publications, etc).
Grants
1. Co-I- Knowing Risk: Embedding Warning Systems and Environmental Monitoring in Community Environmental Histories and Citizen Science, British Academy, ODA Research Grants € 200,000
2. Co-I- Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. Lead: Università di Bologna. Funding from the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild).
3. PI- Social-ecological transformation to sustainability at the regional scale in the global south. GCID Small Grants Fund. 2024-25
5. Co-I- Past, Present and Future of the Asian Mega-Deltas: The Role of Space Observations. Funding from International Space Science Institute. 2022-24
6. Co-I- Social and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnamese provinces bordering China and Laos following border closure (2020-2022). Funding from UKRI/GCRF/Newton Fund through EPSRC (EP/V043218/1). Visit the Project Website.
7. PI- Exploring pathways for transformation to sustainability using the safe and just operating space concept at the regional level(SUccESS). Visit the Project Website. European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship Feb 2019- Jan 2021.
8. PI- Modelling Risk and Resilience in Human and Natural Systems. Visit Project Website. Swiss National Science Foundation, 2019.
9. Co-PI- Social-ecological systems modelling and Sustainable Land Management (SSLM). Visit Project Website Sustainable Land Management Unit, University of Bern.2017-2019.
10. PI- Participatory modelling for conceptual system dynamic model of the social-ecological system in Bangladesh delta. Visit the Project Website. South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE)- March – October 2015. Grant
11. Safe Operating Space for Development and Ecosystem Services in Bangladesh (SOS-DES). Visit the Project Website. Interdisciplinary PhD Studentship by Nation Environmental Research Council, Economics, Social Research Council, UK, and the University of Southampton. 2012-2015. Grant
12. Co-PI- Mainstreaming of Climate Change in National Policy Development using Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Water Resource Management at Narail, Bangladesh. NGO Forum on ADB. Grant
Supervision
- Banda, Romakala
Social-ecological systems approach for water security in the face of climate change in Zambia - Hashem, Md Abul
Assessment of Aboveground Carbon (AGC) Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)- Derived Remotely Sensed Data for Sustainable Management of Sundarbans Mangrove Forests (SMF) Towards Achieving the SDGs - Hossain, Abdul Mohammed Mokter
Trends, drivers and future of food security in Bangladesh - Morshed, Golam
Policy Development for Effective Climate Change Adaptation Mainstreaming through Local Government Development Planning in Bangladesh - Roy, Debashis
Exploring the drought-food insecurity nexus using the social-ecological systems approach - Russel, Mohammed Ali Nause
Safe and just operating space for achieving sustainable development goals in Bangladesh - Taiyebi, Kazi Atiah
Shrimp, mangrove and agriculture in coastal Bangladesh: Social-ecological system approach for a blue growth economy. - ZHANG, ZHENGXIN
Co-evolution of ecosystem services and land-use change in the mountains of Eastern China.
Md Nurul Amin. Understanding the Role of Social-Ecological System Framework for Examining Australian Farmers’ Capacity to Manage Soil Carbon, University of New England, Australia. 2018-2021
Sayantani Mukherjee Basak. Spatio-Temporal and Social Dimensions of Human-Wildlife Interactions (Foreign advisor), Jagiellonian University, Poland 2019-2021
System dynamics modelling for agroecosystem functioning and services (Visiting PhD student from Stellenbosch University, South Africa) 2019
Household food security in Kenya, Institute of Geography, University of Bern 2019-2020.
River restoration in ecosystem services perspective, Jagiellonian University, Poland 2019-2020
Land degradation in Tunisia, Institute of Geography, University of Bern 2019
Teaching
Undergraduate: BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Sustainability
- Environmental Policy and Management (DUMF4040)
- Global environmental issues (DUMF1008)
- Environmental Stewardship Project DUMF 4008P
Masters: MSc Environmental Risk Management
- Programme Director of the MSc Environmental Risk Management.
- Dissertation/ Placement DUMF5078/ DUMF5104
I contribute to:
- Research Methods in Environmental Risk and Management (DUMF5137)
- Research Methods For Environmental Scientists (DUMF2024)
Previous courses:
Institute of Geography, University of Bern 2017-2020
- System dynamics modelling of social-ecological systems
- Challenges in geography
- Geodata analysis and modelling (Guest Lecture, System dynamics modelling)
- Research planning (Guest Lecture)
Geography and Environmental Science University of Southampton UK 2014-2016
- Global Climate Change: Science, Impacts and Policy (Guest lecture)
- Geographical, Quantitative and Field Skills (Teaching Assistant): Quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Dangerous World (Guest lecture)
Professional activities & recognition
Research fellowships
- 2019 - 2020: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, European Commission
Editorial boards
- 2021 - Ongoing: Editorial Board, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
- 2019 - 2020: Guest Editor, International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology
- 2019 - 2020: Guest Editor, Science of the Total Environment
Professional & learned societies
- 2020: Member, Global Land Program (GLP)
- 2019: Member, Early Career Professionals Future Earth
- 2019: Member, Member IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)
- 2017: Member, Young Ecosystem Service Specialists (YESS)
- 2013: Conference Officer, NRG BESS (Next Research Generation BESS: Early career network for the NERC Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability)
Additional information
Research in the News
Study to enhance water security and climate resilience in the Bangladesh Delta
Study defines a safe operating space for major rivers in the Ganges Delta, India
Study to enhance water security and climate resilience in the Bangladesh Delta
বাংলাদেশের আন্তঃসীমান্ত ১০ নদীর ৪টির নিরাপদ প্রবাহ পথ নষ্ট হয়েছে
রাজধানীর ভূপৃষ্ঠের তাপ বাড়ছে, কমছে জলাভূমি
Media Relation University of Bern: Seven Marie Curie Fellowships for the University of Bern
Blog
The Bangladesh coastal zone: Improvements in human well-being have come at an unsustainable environmental cost at one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions, ESPA (Ecosystem services for poverty alleviation) Website: http://www.espa.ac.uk/news-blogs/blog/bangladesh-coastal-zone-improvements-human-well-being-have-come-unsustainable
A Perfect Storm In Bangladesh. https://www.eyesonthestorm.org/blog/a-perfect-storm-in-bangladesh
Newspaper articles
Md Sarwar Hossain (2019). Living within a safe space. The Dhaka Tribune.
The Dhaka Tribune is a national English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published in Dhaka Bangladesh.
Youtube Channel: SES LaB
Personal webpage: SES Lab