Dr. Maral Habibi | Climate Change | Best Researcher Award
climate and environment, University of Graz: Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz, Austria
Dr. Maral Habibi is a Climate Research Scientist at the University of Graz, Austria 🌍. With over a decade of experience in climatology, remote sensing, and environmental modeling, she has significantly contributed to drought monitoring, snow drought analysis, and climate vulnerability studies. Her research bridges science and policy, focusing on sustainable solutions for climate challenges such as water scarcity and extreme weather events 💧🌪️. She has served at leading institutions like GeoSphere Austria and ASMERC, and remains actively involved in EU and national climate projects, delivering impactful science that informs SDG policy and resilience planning 📊.
Profile
Education 🎓
Dr. Habibi holds a Ph.D. in Physical Geography with a specialization in Climate Impacts, where she developed advanced modeling tools to assess climate-induced vulnerabilities across arid and mountainous terrains 🏔️📚. Her academic journey was shaped by rigorous training in geospatial analysis, meteorology, and environmental systems at esteemed institutions, building a strong foundation in climate sciences. Her education not only provided technical expertise but also fostered a passion for translational research — turning data into decisions for communities and ecosystems under stress 🌿.
Experience 💼
Dr. Habibi has served in multiple scientific and academic roles across Europe and the Middle East 🗺️. She is currently a Climate Research Scientist at the University of Graz, contributing to EU-funded projects such as HISTALP and SDGHub. At GeoSphere Austria, she supported climate reporting systems and national adaptation strategies 🛰️. As a researcher at ASMERC/RIMAS, she focused on dust storm dynamics and extreme climate events in arid regions. With visiting research experience at Padova University (Italy), she’s also involved in international collaborations on hydrological modeling and bias correction for climate data 🌧️🌬️.
Research Interests 🔬
Dr. Habibi’s research centers on climate change impact assessment, drought and snow drought monitoring, and geostatistical climate data interpolation 📡. She specializes in satellite-based environmental change detection, mountain hydrology, dust storm modeling, and sustainability indicators aligned with SDGs 🌎📈. Her innovations, such as improved kriging-based interpolation techniques and multi-index vulnerability frameworks, support risk mapping and policy applications. Her work applies remote sensing and AI to model environmental extremes and inform adaptation planning, making her research vital for climate-resilient futures 🔄.
Awards 🏅
Recognized for her impactful work in climate modeling and sustainability, Dr. Habibi is a prime candidate for the Best Researcher Award by Environmental Scientists Awards 🏆. Her portfolio includes over 25 peer-reviewed publications, coordination in national and EU-level projects, and active participation in global research networks such as the EGU and Copernicus 🌐. Her contributions to climate services, drought detection, and SDG indicator development have supported policy initiatives in Austria and beyond, marking her as a leader in applied environmental science 🏛️.
Publications 📚
📘 Drought Characteristics and Variability in the Urmia Lake Basin: Application of the SPI and SPEI, Water, 2022 – Cited by 17
📘 Assessing Snow Drought in the Alpine Region Using Homogenized Time Series, Atmosphere, 2023 – Cited by 9
📘 Climate Vulnerability Index for Drying Lakes: A Case from Iran, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 2022 – Cited by 6
📘 Geostatistical Interpolation of Climate Indicators: Kriging with External Drift Method, Remote Sensing, 2021 – Cited by 11
📘 Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in Arid Regions, Land, 2022 – Cited by 8
✅ Conclusion
Dr. Maral Habibi is highly suitable for the Best Researcher Award. Her interdisciplinary research, international collaborations, and application of climate science for real-world environmental planning strongly support her candidacy. With continued growth in citation impact and expanded leadership roles, her contributions to sustainable environmental solutions are both commendable and forward-looking.
