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:
- 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
- Operationalizing the SES approach for sustainability challenges (Water, food insecurity, climate change, and natural hazards) using real-world examples
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
- System dynamics, agent-based and integrated modelling
- Food Security
- Risk and resilience to natural hazards
- Climate change (Impacts and Adaptation)
- Water resources management
Interdisciplinary research and sustainability challenges in Bangladesh, Kenya, Switzerland, Deltas and coastal areas (Major), South Africa, Tunisia, Vietnam (Mekong), Australia, Poland, Brazil (Amazon) and China (minor)
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 - 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
News
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