Climate Change and Environmental Degradation in the MENA Region

Ayad M. Fadhil Al-Quraishi is a Professor of Applied Remote Sensing & GIS at Tishk International University (TIU) in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. He earned his Ph.D. Eng. in Geodetection and IT from the China University of Geosciences (CUG), Wuhan, China, and has accumulated extensive teaching experience at both Iraqi and international universities. Over the course of his career, he has supervised and examined 60+ postgraduate students (Ph.D. & M.Sc.) and has authored 80+ papers published in national and international journals and conferences. Dr. Al-Quraishi has also edited four books for Springer and contributed to 23 book chapters. His published paper on drought in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was recognized as one of the top papers for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in 2012. Additionally, he has participated in numerous international scientific projects and has been an active member of the scientific community, serving as a scientific committee member, keynote speaker, reviewer, and participant in 50+ international conferences, workshops, and symposiums. He holds memberships in several international scientific and professional organizations. Furthermore, Dr. Al-Quraishi has served as a Guest Editor for the journals "Remote Sensing" and "Water," published by MDPI, and the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, published by SPIE. He has also reviewed 400+ papers for WoS and Scopus-indexed journals and is a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals. Beyond his academic accomplishments, Dr. Al-Quraishi was selected as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Michigan State University (MSU), USA, in 2011 and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Alabama (UA), USA, in 2022. Since 2016, he has been the Ambassador for Iraq of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (IEEE-GRSS).

Abdelzim M. Negm is a Professor of Hydraulics (and Water Resources) at the Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University (ZU), Egypt, since 2004. He was the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of ZU from Dec-2008 to Dec-2011 and was the Head of the Environmental Engineering Department at Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), Egypt, from Oct-2013 to Mar-2016. With 400+ papers in national and international journals and conferences, Prof. Negm has also contributed to 50+ book chapters and edited 50+ books, including some volumes in The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry book series from Springer. He was the editor-in-chief of EIJEST during the period from 2017 to 2020, an editor of the EMJEI, which was published by Springer, and an associate editor of the Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences and Scientific African Journal, which was published by Elsevier. He is also the Head of the Permanent Scientific Committee on Water Resources (committee no.115), the supreme council of Egyptian Universities, Egypt. Prof. Negm is listed in the most famous and prestigious directories in the world, including the American Biographical Institute (ABI), Inc, USA, "Marquis Who's Who in the World," 27th Ed., 2010, USA, to present, and in IBC's 2000 as an Outstanding Intellectual of the 21st Century by the International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, since 2011 to present. He was nominated for various awards by both ABI and IBC during the period from 2011 to 2012.

Brahim Benzougagh is a Professor at the Department of Geomorphology and Geomatics, Scientific Institute of Mohammed V University of Rabat-City, Morocco. His research interests include remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) applications to natural hazard assessment and mitigation, including landslide susceptibility modeling, slope stability analysis, flood mapping, soil erosion monitoring, and drought detection. Prof. Benzougagh employs RS and GIS methods and techniques to model risks from various natural hazards. He has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals, including: Modeling Earth Systems and Environment Journal, Earth Science Informatics Journal, Applied Water Science Journal, Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment Journal. In addition to his research, he is interested in science communication to share his expertise with broader audiences. He has earned his Doctorate in Geomorphology Geo-risks and Geomatics from Moulay Ismail University, Meknes-Morocco in 2019. In addition to his research, Professor Benzougagh teaches courses on: natural hazard management for Master's students, and geomatics courses at the National School of Forest Engineering in Morocco, as well as geomorphology courses at the Mohammadia School of Engineering in Morocco.