Faculty Profile

Dr. Md. Anowarul Islam

Associate Professor & Head

Contact Information

  • Office Address: Department of Geography and Environment, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh
  • Phone: +8801709109665
  • Email: [email protected]

Research Profile Links

Biography

Dr. Md. Anowarul Islam was born on 1 January 1987 in Kaliganj, a south-western coastal upazila of Satkhira District, Bangladesh. Growing up in a large and caring family as the youngest of five brothers and three sisters, he received unwavering support and encouragement from his parents, Md. Samsur Rahman Dhali and Mst. Jahura Khatun.

His educational journey began at Kolijoga Government Primary School. Demonstrating strong academic promise from an early age, he continued his studies at Sreekala Secondary School, where he successfully completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in 2003 with a concentration in the science group. He later attended Government Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah College, earning his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) in 2005, also from the science group.

Driven by a deep interest in the Earth, the environment, and the natural systems that sustain human life, he was admitted to the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Rajshahi in 2007 to pursue his higher studies. He excelled academically and completed his Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in 2010 with distinction, securing the first position. Continuing his academic excellence, he completed his Master of Science degree at the same department in 2012 as a thesis student, again achieving distinction and ranking first.

Translating passion into profession, he began his academic career in 2013 as a Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environment at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet, Bangladesh. His dedication to teaching, research, and departmental development led to his promotion to Assistant Professor in 2015.

With a strong desire to advance scientific knowledge and contribute globally to environmental research, he moved to Japan in 2016 after being awarded the prestigious Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. He enrolled at the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, where he completed his second Master of Science degree in 2019. Continuing under the MEXT scholarship, he pursued PhD studies in the same graduate school. His doctoral degree was awarded in 2022, marking a significant milestone in his academic and research career.

Upon returning to Bangladesh, he resumed his faculty role at SUST. In recognition of his leadership capability and academic achievements, he was appointed Head of the Department of Geography and Environment in November 2022 and promoted to the position of Associate Professor in March 2023.

His research interests focus on climate change, natural hazards, flood disasters, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, adaptation and mitigation strategies, and policy-oriented environmental development. He has published numerous scholarly articles in reputable national and international journals. His active participation in global scientific communities has taken him to conferences and academic events in countries including Thailand, India, Japan, Indonesia, and Nepal, where he has presented his work and collaborated with international researchers.

Alongside his academic pursuits, he is a devoted Muslim who performed the Holy Umrah in Saudi Arabia in 2024, a spiritual milestone he cherishes deeply. He married in 2015 and is a proud and loving father to two little angels, Anaya and Inaya, who bring joy and fulfillment to his life.

Grateful for every achievement and opportunity, he continually strives to contribute to knowledge, society, and humanity. Alhamdulillah for everything...

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Geography and Environmental Studies from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, in 2010.
  • Master of Science in Geography and Environmental Studies from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, in 2012.
  • Master of Science in Environmental Science Development from the Graduate School of Environmental Science at Hokkaido University, Japan, in 2019.
  • PhD in Environmental Science from the Graduate School of Environmental Science at Hokkaido University, Japan, in 2022.

Research Interests

  • Modeling Changing Climate (Spatial and Temporal Variability of Rainfall and Temperature)
  • Analysis of Extreme Events (High Sea Level, Tropical Cyclone, Flash Flood, Coastal Inundation, etc.)
  • Assessment of Vulnerability and Susceptibility Related to the Natural Hazards and Anthropogenic Forcings
  • Disaster Management (especially the Flood Disaster in the Northeastern Haor Areas of Bangladesh)
  • Formulation of Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies with Policy Recommendation

Active Research Project

  • 1. Application of AHP and GIS-based multi-criteria analysis for flood risk assessment along the Jamuna River of Bangladesh
  • 2. Modeling the flood vulnerability of the Surma River basin using GIS and Remote Sensing

Previous Research Project

  • 1. Impact of climate change and anthropogenic forcings on increasing flood hazards in northeastern Bangladesh
  • 2. Influence of terrestrial precipitation to the variability of extreme sea level along the coast of Bangladesh
  • 3. People’s perception on agricultural vulnerabilities to climate change and sea level rise in Bangladesh: Adaptation strategies and explanatory variables
  • 4. Agricultural Vulnerability to Climate Change-Induced Sea Level Rise and Options for Adaptation: A Case Study of Shyamnagar Upazilla
  • 5. Salinity Impact on Agriculture in Coastal Area of Bangladesh: A Case Study of Shyamnagar Upazilla

External Affiliations

  • Researcher, Asian Precipitation Experiment (AsiaPeX) Project of WCRP and Kagawa University, Japan.

Journal Publications

  • 1. Modeling the Rainfall and Large–Scale Climate Influence in the Upper Meghna River Basin of Bangladesh (2025)
  • 2. Comparative Study on Variations of Living Standard for Public and Private University Students in Sylhet City of Bangladesh (2025)
  • 3. Geospatial assessment of climate driven migration in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh (2025)
  • 4. Impact of extreme rainfall and land use land cover change on flood hazards in Sylhet District of Bangladesh (2025)
  • 5. Monitoring the Trend of Nighttime Light Pollution (NLP) in the Chattogram District, Bangladesh, Using DMSP/OLS and VIIRS Data (2024)
  • 6. Role of Surface Rainfall to the Variability of Extreme Sea Level along the Eastern Coast of Bangladesh (2023)
  • 7. Impact of Salinity Intrusion on Coastal Agriculture and Farmer’s Livelihoods in Bangladesh (2021)
  • 8. Influence of Terrestrial Precipitation on the Variability of Extreme Sea Levels along the Coast of Bangladesh (2021)
  • 9. Exploring public opinion on the climate change issues in Bangladesh (2018)
  • 10. Effectiveness of indigenous adaptations for agricultural sustainability to the impacts of climate change: case of a coastal district of Bangladesh (2018)
  • 11. People’s perception on agricultural vulnerabilities to climate change and SLR in Bangladesh: adaptation strategies and explanatory variables (2018)
  • 12. Agricultural vulnerability in Bangladesh to climate change induced sea level rise and options for adaptation: a study of a coastal Upazila (2015)

Conference

  • 1. Modelling the extreme rainfall and land use land cover change induced flood hazard vulnerability in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh (2025)
  • 2. Effect of Precipitation on the Variability of Extreme Sea Levels along the Coast of Bangladesh (2024)
  • 3. Impacts of precipitation to the variability of extreme sea levels along the coast of Bangladesh (2018)
  • 4. Influence of terrestrial precipitation to the variability of extreme sea levels along the coast of Bangladesh (2018)
  • 5. Impacts of Sea Level Rise to Agricultural Vulnerabilities in Bangladesh and Option for Adaptations: A Case from Coast (2016)
  • 6. Socio-economic vulnerability and coping strategies of Haor’s fishermen in Bangladesh: a study of Tanguar Haor (2016)
  • 7. Climate Change and Coastal Agriculture of Bangladesh. An article of a bulletin ‘Voice of Nature' (2014)
  • 8. Climate change impact on agriculture in coastal area of Bangladesh and options for adaptation: A study of a coastal Upazila (2014)
  • 9. Agricultural Vulnerability to Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise and Options for Adaptation: A Case Study of Shyamnagar Upazila (2013)

Book/ Book Chapter

  • 1. Assessing Risk of Landfall Tropical Cyclone on the Southwestern Coast of Bangladesh—A Geospatial Analysis. In: Rahman, M.R., Rahman, A., Saha, S.K. (eds) Advanced GIScience in Hydro-Geological Hazards

Teaching

  • Teaching has been a passion since my early childhood. As a Geographer and Environmentalist, I teach a diverse range of theoretical and practical courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. My teaching portfolio includes: Introduction to Geography and Environment, Geography of Bangladesh, Population Geography, Geography of Oceans, Resource Management, Biogeography, Environmental Geography, Geography of Soil, Cultural Geography, Political Geography, Geography of South Asia, Quantitative Techniques in Geography, Climate Change and Government Policy, Geography and Climatology, Urban Environmental Management, Map Reading, Plane Surveying, Geodetic Surveying and Socioeconomic Field Study.

Awards & Recognition

  • Scholar of Japanese Government Scholarship-MEXT (Monbukagakusho).
  • An award leader of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
  • Founder Treasurer of the GEE Society of the Department of Geography and Environment at SUST, Sylhet.
  • First PhD Degree Achieved Faculty in the Department of GEE, SUST.
  • Distinctions in both under-graduation and graduation with 1st position in all the academic years from B. Sc (Hon’s). to M.S (Thesis).
  • An exceptional scholarship scholar of Rajshahi University, Bangladesh for outstanding academic performance in undergraduate and graduate level.

Graduate Supervision

  • 1. Impact of Urbanization on Microclimatic Suitability in the Context of Public Health: A GIS and RS based Approach on Sylhet City by Mr. Snehashis Paul for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2024.
  • 2. Assessing the Impacts of Salinity Intrusion on Agricultural Land in the Ganges Tidal Plain of Bangladesh by Mrs. Nidhy Mostan for completion her MS (Thesis) in 2024.
  • 3. Assess the Influence of Flash Floods on People’s Migration in the North-Eastern Haor Areas of Bangladesh: A Deep Learning Approach by Mr. Md. Maksudul Hossain for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2024.
  • 4. Quantifying the Impact of Light Pollution on Biodiversity: A Geographical Investigation of Chattogram Hilly Area by Mr. Emon Barua for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2024.
  • 5. Influence of Rohingya Refugee Influx on Geo-environment Crisis along the Borderland of Southeast Bangladesh by Mr. Swapnil Dhar for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2024.
  • 6. Climatic Factors Analysis and Development of a Prediction Model for Dengue Fever Transmission by Mr. Md. Mohaimenul Islam for completion his Bachelor degree in 2024.
  • 7. Assessment of Temperature Climatology over Bangladesh During 1983-2022 by Mr. Md. Aminul Haque Laskor for completion his Bachelor degree in 2024.
  • 8. Impact of Agriculture Activities on Salinity Intrusion in the Southwestern Coast of Bangladesh by Mr. Md. Ziaul Haque for completion his Bachelor degree in 2024.
  • 9. Distribution of Heatwave Vulnerability Under the Impact of Urban Heat Island; A Case for Gazipur City Corporation by Mrs. Jannatul Ferdous for completion her Bachelor degree in 2024.
  • 10. Exploring the Impact of Urban Greenery on Psychological Behavior Using a GIScience Approach by Nayma Akter Nishat for completion her MS (Thesis) in 2025.
  • 11. Seasonal Variation in Sedimentary Blue Carbon Dynamics at Nijhum Dwip, Bangladesh by Ifat Sharmin for completion her MS (Thesis) in 2025.
  • 12. Application of Deep Learning to Identify Pollution Hotspots and Their Impact: A Case Study in the Upper Surma-Meghna River Basin of Bangladesh by Fahmida Jaman for completion her MS (Thesis) in 2025.
  • 13. Flood-Induced Health Risk Assessment in Sunamganj: A Deep Learning-Enhanced Giscience Approach by Md. Mashrup Hasan for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2025.
  • 14. Flood Risk Assessment Using AHP-GIS Multi-Criteria Approach: A Case Study of Sariakandi Upazila in Bangladesh by Md. Mohaimenul Islam for completion his MS (Thesis) in 2025.
  • 15. Impact of Tropical Cyclone in the Intensification of Sea Level Rise along the Coastal Region of Bangladesh by Mr. Nur-Ul-Mazed Mahi for completion his Bachelor degree in 2025.
  • 16. Modeling Rainfall and Large-Scale Climate Influence in the Upper Meghna River Basin of Bangladesh by Mr. Md. Musa Nadim for completion his Bachelor degree in 2025.