Doctoral Researcher in GIScience, Flood Informatics & Geospatial Artificial Intelligence
Specialized in integrating spatial data science, machine learning algorithms, and hydro-meteorological data to bridge physical hazard models with socio-demographic resilience dynamics.
Hello, I am Md Zakaria Salim. I am a doctoral researcher specializing in the intersection of geospatial artificial intelligence, spatial data science, and disaster resilience. My research focuses on analytical frameworks to understand complex human-flood interactions and environmental vulnerabilities across scales and spatial units. By leveraging deep learning architectures, population synthesis, and advanced hydrodynamic modeling, my goal is to advance our understanding of extreme weather impacts and empower communities through precise disaster risk communication.
Peer-reviewed articles, environmental assessments, and fine-scale spatial analytics.
A storm's path might be natural, but its destruction is deeply unequal. We mapped out the building damage from Hurricane Ian and found a clear pattern: a neighborhood's socioeconomic status plays a massive role in how much property is lost. It is not just about the weather—it is about underlying community vulnerability.
Using satellite imagery, we tracked urban vegetation in Fort Myers before and after Hurricane Ian. The storm did not just damage buildings—it wiped out nearly 64% of the area's greenery. This massive loss highlights the hidden environmental toll of severe hurricanes on urban ecosystems.
We put official flood maps to the test using real-time camera data during Hurricane Helene. The results? Many models either over-predicted or completely missed coastal flooding, especially in vulnerable communities. It is clear that we urgently need more localized, accurate forecasting.
Rapid city growth across the Indian subcontinent is putting intense pressure on groundwater supplies. We reviewed the cascading effects—from worsening droughts and heat islands to food security risks—and outlined actionable strategies to adapt before the wells run dry.
Over just two decades, rapid urbanization in Northeast Florida has consumed massive amounts of natural land. We tracked this expansion using geospatial workflows, showing a direct trade-off: as urban areas expanded by 12%, vegetation shrank, permanently altering the local landscape.
When Cyclone Yaas struck India, heavy clouds made traditional satellite imagery useless. By leveraging Sentinel-1 radar data that sees right through the storm, we developed a way to rapidly map flood extents to help emergency teams respond when every minute counts.
The 2022 Monkeypox outbreak spread unlike anything we had seen before. By mapping cases across five states at the county level, we uncovered how population density and specific socio-demographic factors shaped transmission, offering vital clues for managing future public health crises.
Exploding population growth and rapid urbanization are pushing Khulna City's water supply to the brink. Our analysis reveals that current resources fall short of meeting basic demands, raising a major red flag for achieving sustainable development goals by 2050.
Parks are essential for urban well-being, but they aren't accessible to everyone. By analyzing the city's network, we discovered that while Khulna has enough green space on paper, it is poorly distributed—leaving residents in 20 entire wards completely cut off from a local park.
Completed environmental evaluations, and technical working papers.
A topographic and temporal analysis of the USF preserve from 2017 to 2022 reveals a mixed environmental scorecard. While some areas are thriving, human disturbance and mismanagement are driving noticeable vegetation loss, signaling an urgent need for better conservation strategies.
Through the analysis of the topographic profile of the USF preserve area, it was evident that the area was pretty flat with a gentle slope. Some places within the study area went through vegetation loss, and some places had pretty satisfactory vegetation growth with the maintenance of healthy vegetation over the study time period from 2017 to 2022. Vegetation loss in some locations concurred with the deterioration of the health condition of plants due to human disturbance, mismanagement, or disease infestation, all of which indicated a need for a better management plan for the maintenance of forested land.
Rapid urbanization across California is steadily driving up dangerous PM2.5 air pollution. By tracking air quality data from 2001 to 2020, we identified the hardest-hit counties where pollution is becoming a critical public health threat, alongside the remaining safe havens.
Urbanization is one of the major concerns in terms of air pollution. Rapid urbanization process leads to population growth and migration rate in major states and counties of the U.S. The consequence of the urbanization process gives rise to the concentration level of PM2.5 day by day in California. It has adverse health effects on the inhabitants of counties with high concentrations of PM2.5. This study was conducted to assess the average maximum concentration level of PM2.5 from 2001 to 2020 at five-year intervals. The results showed that the concentration level of PM2.5 had been increasing among all counties in California during the study period. It was evident that the growing concentration of PM2.5 had been becoming a concern in a few counties with poor air quality and unhealthy environments for children and adults, especially Inyo County, Mono County, Madera County, Fresno County, and Colusa County. On the other hand, Del Norte County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County were found to have a comparatively healthy environment with good air quality, as population exposure was lower compared to other counties with high concentrations of PM2.5. However, if urban and population growth rates increase in the coming decades, their impact on the concentration of PM2.5 could be a serious threat to California.
Presenting empirical findings and chairing sessions at leading geographic and informatics conferences.
Active peer reviewer contributing to high-impact international journals in geosciences, urban computing, and disaster risk.
Interested in research collaborations, spatial modeling consultancies, or academic inquiries?
