Shivukumar Rakkasagi | Climate Change | Young Scientist Award

Dr. Shivukumar Rakkasagi | Climate Change | Young Scientist Award

Indian Institute of Technology Indore | India

Dr. Shivukumar Rakkasagi is a dedicated researcher and educator in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the same institution, an M.Sc. in Geoinformatics from Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, and a B.E. in Civil Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University. His research focuses on hydroclimatic extremes, wetland resilience, and geospatial-AI integration for climate risk assessment and sustainable environmental management. Dr. Shivukumar Rakkasagi has contributed to the understanding of climate-induced hazards affecting Ramsar wetlands and biodiversity through novel frameworks combining hydrology, AI, and socio-technical perspectives. His previous experience includes roles at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, and the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he developed expertise in remote sensing, GIS, and environmental modeling. He has co-authored numerous high-impact journal papers and book chapters published by Springer, Elsevier, and Nature, contributing significantly to climate resilience research. With 136 citations across 81 documents, 12 publications, and an h-index of 6, his scholarly impact continues to grow in the field of environmental sciences. Dr. Shivukumar Rakkasagi has been recognized with multiple prestigious honors, including national fellowships, best presentation awards, and scientific distinctions for excellence in Earth and environmental sciences. He actively serves as a reviewer for international journals such as Scientific Reports, Remote Sensing of Environment, and Water Resources Management and is a member of various professional and scientific societies. His interdisciplinary work bridges research and policy, fostering sustainable solutions for climate adaptation, ecosystem protection, and water resource resilience.

Featured Publications

Goyal, M. K., Gupta, A. K., Jha, S., Rakkasagi, S., & Jain, V. (2022). Climate change impact on precipitation extremes over Indian cities: Non-stationary analysis. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180, 121685.

Rakkasagi, S., Goyal, M. K., & Jha, S. (2024). Evaluating the future risk of coastal Ramsar wetlands in India to extreme rainfalls using fuzzy logic. Journal of Hydrology, 632, 130869.

Goyal, M. K., Rakkasagi, S., Shaga, S., Zhang, T. C., Surampalli, R. Y., & Dubey, S. (2023). Spatiotemporal-based automated inundation mapping of Ramsar wetlands using Google Earth Engine. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 17324.

Rakkasagi, S., Poonia, V., & Goyal, M. K. (2023). Flash drought as a new climate threat: Drought indices, insights from a study in India and implications for future research. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 14(9), 3368–3384.

Goyal, M. K., Gupta, A. K., Das, J., Jain, V., & Rakkasagi, S. (2023). Heatwave magnitude impact over Indian cities: CMIP 6 projections. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 154(3), 959–971.

Aurele Ayemele Kenfack Gnetegha | Climate | Best Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aurele Ayemele Kenfack Gnetegha | Climate | Best Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer, Kunming Institute of Botany Chine, China

Dr. Ayemele Aurele is an accomplished early-career researcher specializing in ruminant nutrition, sustainable livestock production, and feed innovation. With a dynamic career shaped by global collaboration, he has served as a Postdoctoral Fellow, Senior Lecturer, and Visiting Professor across Africa and Asia. Currently affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, he leads transformative research that enhances animal productivity while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. πŸŒπŸ„πŸ’‘

Profile

Orcid

πŸŽ“ Education

Dr. Aurele earned his PhD in Ruminant Nutrition and Feed Science from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (in collaboration with Ohio State University, USA) in 2021. His research focused on improving nitrogen efficiency in ruminants using novel plants. He also holds a Master’s in Agroforestry & Fisheries and a Bachelor’s in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Dschang, Cameroon. πŸ“˜πŸ§ͺ🌿

πŸ’Ό Professional Experience

Dr. Aurele brings over a decade of multidisciplinary experience in teaching, research, and policy advising. As a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bamenda and Visiting Professor in China, he has supervised students, led research projects, and taught advanced courses in animal production and nutrition. Previously, he advised national climate policy under UNFCCC and worked with CIFOR on sustainable agriculture. πŸŒπŸ‘¨β€πŸ«πŸ“Š

πŸ”¬ Research Interest

Dr. Aurele’s research focuses on sustainable livestock nutrition, climate-smart feeding strategies, and microbial ecology in ruminants. His innovative work includes developing new forages and feed additives, reducing methane emissions, and enhancing rumen microbial efficiency using bioactive phytochemicals. 🌱🧬🐐

πŸ† Awards and Honors

He has secured funding from prestigious institutions such as the Chinese government and the EU, leading projects on forage innovation and climate-resilient livestock systems. His Marie Curie fellowship proposal received the EU’s β€œSeal of Excellence” in 2024. He coordinated over five major research initiatives, influencing feed science policy and practice. πŸ†πŸŒπŸ“ˆ

πŸ“š Publications

Rumen microbiota for cattle performance and greenhouse gas mitigation across the world
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2024 (IF: 9.8)
πŸ”— Link – Accepted for publication
Scientific impact: Demonstrated roles of microbial groups in improving milk yield and reducing methane.
πŸ“‘ Cited by: In press

Feeding strategies for cattle performance and greenhouse gas mitigation across the world
Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 2024 (IF: 12)
πŸ”— Link – Under review
Scientific impact: Recommends feed additives for sustainable dairy farming.
πŸ“‘ Cited by: In review

Giant milkweed: A new plant resource…
Science of the Total Environment, 2020 (IF: 9.754)
πŸ”— https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140665
πŸ“‘ Cited by: 52 articles
Use of phytochemicals to inhibit protozoa and reduce ammonia without increasing CHβ‚„.

Identification of bioactive phytochemicals…
Biology, 2021 (IF: 5.168)
πŸ”— https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10101055
πŸ“‘ Cited by: 18 articles
First-time analysis of six forest plants inhibiting rumen ammonia and protozoa.

Turning weeds into feed: Ensiling Calotropis gigantea…
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2024 (IF: 6.8)
πŸ”— https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116292
πŸ“‘ Cited by: 4 articles
Revealed detoxification strategy that makes GM palatable and safe for dairy cows.

🏁 Conclusion

Dr. Ayemele Aurele exemplifies the qualities of an emerging scientific leader in sustainable ruminant production and climate-smart agriculture. With high-quality publications, international teaching and research experience, and demonstrated innovation in feed science, he is a strong and deserving candidate for the Best Researcher Award. πŸ…πŸŒŸ