Mr. Sarmad Latif | Climate Change | Best Academic Researcher Award

Research Scientist at Komar University of Science and Technology, Iraq

Dr. Sarmad Dashti Latif is a civil engineer and academic researcher specializing in water and environmental security. He currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), a Lecturer and Senior Researcher at Komar University of Science and Technology, and a Research Fellow at Soran University. With a deep commitment to climate change, water resources, and sustainable development, Dr. Latif actively contributes to both academia and applied research through his editorial roles, publications, and scientific outreach.

Professional Profile:

Scopus

Orcid

Google Scholar

Education Background

• Master of Civil Engineering (By Research)
  Specialization: Water & Environmental Security
  University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia — Feb 2022

• Bachelor of Civil Engineering (First Class Honors)
  University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia — Nov 2018
  CGPA: 3.5/4

• Foundation in Civil Engineering
  University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia — Jun 2014

Professional Development

Dr. Latif has held multiple academic and research roles across prestigious institutions:

• Adjunct Lecturer, American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (Feb 2024 – Present)
  Teaching courses in Dynamics, Artificial Intelligence, and Water in Iraq.

• Lecturer & Senior Researcher, Komar University of Science and Technology (May 2021 – Present)
  Teaching and supervising in water resources and environmental engineering, while leading interdisciplinary research on climate change and sustainability.

• Research Fellow, Soran University (Sept 2023 – Dec 2024)
  Leading collaborative research on environmental and climate security, organizing workshops, and publishing in top-tier journals.

• Research Officer (Climate Change), Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia (Dec 2019 – Apr 2021)
  Conducted research on reservoir operations and hydrological responses to climate change.

Research Focus

Dr. Latif’s research is focused on:

1. Water and Environmental Security

2. Climate Change Impact and Adaptation

3. Hydrological Modeling & Reservoir Operations

4. AI and Deep Learning in Water Resources Management

5. Environmental Policy and Sustainability

Author Metrics:

Dr. Sarmad Dashti Latif has made significant contributions to the fields of water security, environmental engineering, and climate change. His scholarly work is recognized globally, with an h-index of 20 and over 1100 citations to his credit. He is listed in renowned databases with the following identifiers: Scopus Author ID: 57216081524, Web of Science Researcher ID: ABD-4755-2020, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0417-3545, and is indexed on Google Scholar under Sarmad Latif. His impactful publications have positioned him as one of the leading researchers in Iraq, particularly in the domain of reservoir inflow and water security, earning him top national rankings and international recognition for his contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Awards and Honors:

1. Elsevier Recognition for contributing to UN SDGs in research publications (2023)

2. Top-ranked Researcher in Iraq in reservoir inflow studies related to water security (Scopus, 2023)

3. Editorial Roles: Editor for Discover Sustainability and Discover Civil Engineering (Springer Nature); Guest Editor for AQUA – Water Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Society

4. Over 200 Peer Reviews for journals including Nature, Springer, Elsevier, IEEE, ASCE

5. Professional Memberships:

   • Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM)

   • Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

   • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

   • International Water Resources Association (IWRA, France)

6. Multiple Certificate Courses completed from leading institutions (UNU-INWEH, University of London, Geneva, Virginia, DTU, UNSW, and more)

1. Water Footprint Assessment to Map and Quantify Water Consumption and Water Pollution Incurred: A Case Study of Malaysia

Authors: NSB Hashim, MBA Malek, S.D. Latif, M. Alsubih, A. ElShafie, A.N. Ahmed
Journal: Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
Volume: 236, Issue: 3, Article: 156
Year: 2025
📌 Focus: Water footprint quantification, consumption & pollution mapping in Malaysia.

2. River Water Quality Monitoring using Machine Learning with Multiple Possible In-Situ Scenarios

Authors: D. Irwan, S.L. Ibrahim, S.D. Latif, C.A. Winston, A.N. Ahmed, M. Sherif, …
Journal: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
Article ID: 100620
Year: 2025
📌 Focus: Machine learning application for real-time river water quality under multiple field scenarios.

3. Satellite-derived Shallow Water Depths Estimation Using Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence Models: A Case Study of Darbandikhan Lake Upper, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Authors: A.A. Othman, S.S. Ali, A.K. Obaid, S.G. Salar, O. Al-Kakey, Y.I. Al-Saady, S.D. Latif, …
Journal: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment
Volume: 37, Article ID: 101432
Year: 2025
📌 Focus: AI and remote sensing integration for depth estimation in lakes.

4. Improving Sea Level Prediction in Coastal Areas Using Machine Learning Techniques

Authors: S.D. Latif, M.A. Almubaidin, C.G. Shen, M. Sapitang, A.H. Birima, A.N. Ahmed, …
Journal: Ain Shams Engineering Journal
Volume: 15, Issue: 9, Article ID: 102916
Year: 2024
📌 Focus: Coastal sea-level prediction using advanced ML models.

5. Forecasting Daily Rainfall in a Humid Subtropical Area: An Innovative Machine Learning Approach

Authors: M.H. Mohammed, S.D. Latif
Journal: Journal of Hydroinformatics
Volume: 26, Issue: 7, Pages: 1661–1672
Year: 2024
📌 Focus: ML-based rainfall prediction in humid subtropical climates.

Conclusion