AIR QUALITY · SEVEN EMIRATES
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST · GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE
Dr. Gowhar Meraj
Spatial Thinking & Intelligence.
Environmental change has a geography.
So do its consequences for people.
I connect Earth observation, environmental science and spatial analysis to understand a changing world.
Faculty Research Fellow · American University of Sharjah
Former JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow · The University of Tokyo
Published researchSelect a layer or a place
Explore the full research atlas and the places below.
EXPLORE THE GEOGRAPHYOpen the research atlas
A world of connected questions.
Select a point to find the work behind the place.
RESEARCH-LED TOOLS & OBSERVATORIES
ResearchWatch
Science for a
changing world.
A growing suite of scientific observatories and decision-support tools, connecting research with practical questions.
Explore ResearchWatchAvailable now
MARINE OBSERVATIONS · GULF COASTS
Gulf SpillWatch
Satellite observations, coastal review and response planning for the UAE and Middle East.Open SpillWatch
AIR QUALITY · KASHMIR VALLEY
Kashmir AirWatch
Explore district maps, six-pollutant forecasts and English and Urdu briefings.Open AirWatch
COASTAL CHANGE · MENA & GCC
Coastal Futures | MENA & GCC
Explore changing coasts, compare people and flood conditions, and build a coastal policy brief.Open Coastal FuturesLATEST RESEARCH / SCIENCE TO POLICY
Research, explained.
Two recent papers, their findings and what they mean for decisions.
Google Scholar · Updated
Land cover & soil salinityLatest research
Urban growth is linked to rising soil salinity.
The research in plain language
Using satellite records and soil measurements from 2001–2022, our study mapped changing soil salinity across Mozambique. Estimated salinity increased across 26.98% of the country and declined across 10.88%. Urban expansion was associated with increasing salinity, while the relationship with agricultural expansion was not statistically significant.
For policy and practice
Land-use planners can use these maps to target salinity monitoring in urbanising coastal lowlands and alluvial plains, and consider drainage and soil conditions when assessing new development.
Coastal hazards & early warningLatest research
Mangrove monitoring needs a clear route to action.
The research in plain language
Our review examines how satellites, drones and field sensors can monitor interacting pressures on arid mangroves. The reviewed studies show progress in mapping and detecting ecological stress, but none combines observation, forecasting, uncertainty, verification, communication and institutional response in a complete early-warning service.
For policy and practice
Coastal managers can test locally relevant warning thresholds and agree who responds to an alert before expanding monitoring networks.
UPDATES / RESEARCH IN THE WORLD
Beyond the paper.
Conferences, conversations and ideas
that connect research with the world.
THE RESEARCH RECORD
Ideas published.
Connections growing.
Explore the work, the scholarly profiles and the record behind the research.
01 / CITATION REACHAwaiting connection
Google Scholar
Google Scholar | Measure | All time | Recent |
|---|---|---|
| Citations | — | — |
| h-index | — | — |
| i10-index | — | — |
Citation metrics are not yet available. View the author profile.
02 / INDEXED RESEARCHUpdated
Scopus
Scopus - Documents
- 195
- Citations
- 4,104
- h-index
- 39
- FWCI
- 2.37
- International
collaboration - 81.8%
0.6% academic–corporate collaboration
Browse publicationsScopus record · Updated
03 / IDENTITYRetrieved
ORCID
ORCID 225public works
in the ORCID record
in the ORCID record
0000-0003-2913-9199
Research record · Last retrieved
The reach of the research.
Research across the years.
Public ORCID works by publication year
2017–2026 · Current year is partialORCID
RECENT PUBLICATIONS / GOOGLE SCHOLAR
Latest publications.
- 2026
- 2026
AI-enabled monitoring of compound coastal hazards in Middle Eastern arid mangroves: evidence, readiness and pathways to early warning
Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 83, 101722, 2026
- 2026
- 2026
Climate and digital transitions in a changing global order: resource dependencies, connectivity and uneven development
Climate and Development, 1-17, 2026
- 2026
Passive house indicators in a hot desert coastal climate: PHPP v9 assessment of a Red Sea villa in Saudi Arabia
Theoretical and Applied Climatology 157 (9), 593, 2026
Publication year, newest first · Retrieved
Environmental scientist
THE PERSON BEHIND THE MAPS
Across landscapes.
Between disciplines.
My work connects environmental processes with their consequences for ecosystems, economies and human well-being. I use Earth observation, GIScience, environmental modelling and GeoAI to examine those relationships.
From Himalayan ecosystem research to a JSPS fellowship at the University of Tokyo and my current work at the American University of Sharjah, place has shaped both my research and my perspective.
My background and research journeyA CONNECTED RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Different subjects.
A common spatial lens.
Six broad areas connected by questions of place, environmental change and human well-being.
Water & environmental risk
Catchments · Groundwater · Floods
Climate adaptation & policy
Resilience · Climate variability · Nature-based solutions
Ecosystem services
Landscapes · Environmental change · Human benefits
Nature & economies
Natural capital · Environmental value · Development
Environment & public health
Heat · Exposure · Disease risk
Urban environments
Planning · Stormwater · Urban nature
LANDSCAPES CONNECT. KNOWLEDGE SHOULD TOO.
A wider view.
A shared conversation.
I welcome research partnerships, academic exchange and conversations about the relationships between nature, society and environmental change.
Himalayas from orbit · NASA / Don Pettit ↗