Dr. Hilal Ahmad Sheikh

Academic Biography

Dr. Hilal Ahmad Sheikh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Ladakh, Kargil, where he brings a rich blend of academic expertise, fieldwork experience, and research excellence to his teaching. With deep roots in the Western Himalayas, his work is shaped by an intimate understanding of the mountain environments, water systems, and communities that define this region. Dr. Sheikh earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kashmir, where his doctoral research focused on Springshed Management Techniques for Spring Rejuvenation in the Sindh Watershed of Kashmir Himalayas — a study with direct implications for water security in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. He also holds an M.Sc. in Geography with specialization in Applied Geomorphology from the same institution. His research interests span Human-Environment Relationships, Groundwater Hydrology, Fluvial and Environmental Geomorphology, Climate Change, Land Degradation, and Remote Sensing and GIS. He is proficient in an impressive range of scientific software including ArcGIS, QGIS, ERDAS, FEFLOW, HEC-RAS, SPSS, and Surfer, skills he applies to modelling complex hydrological and geomorphological systems. Dr. Sheikh has published extensively in internationally reputed journals. His work includes studies on spring recharge identification using stable water isotopes, groundwater spring potential assessment, runoff modelling under climate warming scenarios, and landslide-triggering rainfall thresholds in the Kashmir Himalaya. To date, he has contributed to over fourteen peer-reviewed publications alongside collaborators from the University of Kashmir and beyond. He has presented his research at prestigious national and international forums, including the Indian Institute of Geomorphologists' National Conferences, the International Groundwater Conference at IIT Roorkee, and the Fifth World Congress on Disaster Management. His professional development includes specialized training in Water Diplomacy and Transboundary Aquifer Management by UNESCO, and Groundwater Modelling at IIT Roorkee.