Dr. Asif Iqbal Shah

Academic Biography

Dr. Asif Iqbal Shah is an Assistant Professor of Disaster Management at the University of Ladakh (Kargil Campus) and a disaster management professional with expertise in disaster risk reduction, flood risk assessment, geospatial technologies, hydrological modelling, and climate resilience. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography and Disaster Management from Tripura Central University in 2025, following an M.Sc. in Disaster Management from the University of Kashmir, where he was awarded the Gold Medal for securing first position. He has also qualified the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET), demonstrating his academic competence and commitment to higher education. Dr. Shah has diverse teaching, research, and academic administration experience. He teaches postgraduate courses in disaster risk assessment, emergency and crisis management, disaster policy and governance, psychosocial care, research ethics, remote sensing and GIS, and applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in disaster management. As a Member of the Board of Studies at the University of Ladakh, he actively contributes to curriculum design and academic development. He has also served as a Lecturer in the Higher Education Department of Jammu & Kashmir and has supervised more than ten Master's dissertations. His research focuses on flood risk assessment, hydrological modelling, climate change adaptation, disaster resilience, remote sensing and GIS, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), and AI-enabled geospatial applications. His doctoral research on flood risk assessment and mitigation in the Jhelum River Basin has significantly contributed to the understanding of flood susceptibility and evidence-based disaster risk management. He has published several research articles in reputed international peer-reviewed journals, with additional manuscripts currently under review, and has presented his research at national and international conferences. Dr. Shah has been selected as a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Roster of Disaster Management Professionals and serves as a reviewer for leading international journals. He has also completed numerous specialized training programmes offered by premier institutions, including NIDM, ISRO, the National Water Academy, and various National Institutes of Technology. Through his teaching, research, and professional engagement, he continues to contribute to advancing disaster risk reduction, geospatial research, and sustainable development in India.