Shivukumar Rakkasagi | Climate Change | Young Scientist Award

Published on by Environmental Scientists

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.

Profile: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Researchgate 

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.

Maria Eugenia Salgado Salomón | Climatic Change | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Maria Eugenia Salgado Salomón | Climatic Change | Best Researcher Award

Researcher | National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco | Argentina 

Dr. María Eugenia Salgado Salomón is an accomplished forest engineer and biologist whose career seamlessly integrates research, teaching, and applied science in forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on mycorrhizal fungi, invasive species, and forest health in Patagonia. She holds advanced degrees in biology and forest engineering, complemented by international specialization in governance and integrated water management. Her professional journey includes leadership as head of the Phytopathology and Applied Microbiology department at CIEFAP and a researcher role at CONICET, where she has advanced projects on ectomycorrhizal interactions, fungal invasions, and forest resilience under climate change. She has mentored doctoral and professional students, supervised internships, and trained human resources, while contributing to knowledge transfer for forestry and agricultural producers. Her research, cited by 138 articles and reflected in 14 peer-reviewed documents with an h-index of 8, spans international collaborations, field studies, molecular techniques, and interdisciplinary approaches, yielding numerous publications, book chapters, and technical reports. She has engaged in global initiatives like INTACT, focusing on truffle cultivation and sustainable forest practices, and projects assessing forest biodiversity, post-wildfire resilience, and fungal taxonomy. As a dedicated educator, she teaches courses in biodiversity, conservation, topography, and remote sensing, nurturing future specialists in environmental and forest sciences. Her professional service includes thesis examination, journal peer review, and participation on editorial boards and international scientific committees. Through leadership, scientific rigor, and commitment to sustainable forest management, Dr. María Eugenia Salgado Salomón is a recognized authority in Patagonian forest ecology and mycorrhizal research.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Huymann, L., Salgado Salomón, M. E., Rüde, L., Seibl, C., Schön, R., Barroetaveña, C., Siewert, B., & Peintner, U. (2025). Unveiling hidden treasures: A revision of phlegmacioid Cortinariaceae with special focus on edible South American species of Thaxterogaster subgenus Cretaces. Persoonia. In preparation.

Giles, P. V., Salgado Salomón, M. E., Carrión, N. N., & Barroetaveña, C. (2025). Amanita muscaria invasion in native Nothofagus dombeyi and Lophozonia alpina in Patagonia, Argentina: Unravel belowground associations. Bosques. In preparation.

Giles, P. V., Salgado Salomón, M. E., Pildain, M. B., & Barroetaveña, C. (2025). Invasive Amanita muscaria in Nothofagus dombeyi forests in Patagonia, Argentina. Biological Invasion Note. In revision.

Arguiano, C., Salgado Salomón, M. E., Barroetaveña, C., & Roy, M. (2025). Wildfire impact on below-ground communities associated with Nothofagus forests in Patagonia. Fire Ecology. In revision.

Salgado Salomón, M. E., García Barreda, S., Mohr Bell, D., Pildain, M. B., & Barroetaveña, C. (2025). Mapeo de zonas aptas para truficultura en Patagonia Argentina. Forest Systems. In press.

Salgado Salomón, M. E., De Errasti, A., Talarico, S. S., Gianolini, S., Urretavizcaya, F., & Barroetaveña, C. (2024). Evaluation of abundance and viability of arbuscular mycorrhizal spores in Austrocedrus chilensis forests affected by wildfires in Patagonia, Argentina. Wild, 2(3), 36.

Maral Habibi | Climate Change | Best Researcher Award

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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

Google Scholar

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.