Mohammad Wasim Iqbal
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777 E. University Dr ISTB7, Room # 424 Tempe, AZ 85287
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Wasim Iqbal is an Assistant Research Professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. He earned his Master's degree in Water Engineering and Management from the Asian Institute of Technology in 2010 and a Doctoral degree in Water Engineering from Kasetsart University, Thailand, in 2018. During his doctorate, he received a two-year research fellowship at the University of Central Asia and the CAREC Student Research Competition Grant, funded by the World Bank and the Smart Waters (USAID) project. In 2016, he was honored with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Grant by the United States Department of State’s Flagship Professional Exchange. Before joining ASU, he served as the Director of the Afghanistan National Water and Environmental Research Center, an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Kardan University, and a Visiting Professor at Kabul Polytechnic University.
- Kasetsart University, Thailand | August 2013 to August 2018
PhD in Water Engineering and Management
Dissertation: “Drought analysis and forecasting for agricultural water management in Hari Rod River Basin, Afghanistan”
- Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand | August 2008 to August 2010
M.Sc. Degree in Water Engineering and Management
Thesis: “An investigation of drought and wheat production in Hari Rod River Basin, Afghanistan”
- Heart University, Engineering Faculty, Afghanistan | 2001 to 2005
B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering
My interdisciplinary research over the last twelve years has focused on engineering, as well as social, economic and management problems of water resources. My main areas of research include collaborative, watershed modelling and management, integrated and adaptive water resources management; participatory coupled human-water systems modeling as well as participatory socio-economic modeling; artificial intelligence applications in hydrology; sustainable agriculture; water governance and water security. This line of interdisciplinary research has led to several collaborations with national and international research institutions in close collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
- Iqbal, M.W., Jawadi, A (2022) Assessing the Water Governance Practices in Afghanistan: From Understanding to Functioning. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (JEST). (Under Review)
- Jawadi, A., Iqbal, MW (2022), Nitrate contamination in Kabul province, Afghanistan: Reasons behind and conceptual management framework discourse. Journal of Mountain Science. https://doi.org/10.1007s11629-021-7002-1
- Naseri, M., Hussaini, M. S., Iqbal, M. W., Jawadi, H. A., & Puya, M. (2021). Spatial modelling of solar photovoltaic power plant in Kabul, Afghanistan. Journal of Mountain Science, 18(12), 3291-3305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-021-7035-5
- Iqbal MW, Donjadee S, Kwanyuen B, Liu SY (2018) Farmers’ perceptions of and adaptations to drought in Herat Province, Afghanistan. Journal of Mountain Science 15(8): 1741-1756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4750-z
- Iqbal, M.W., Donjadee, S. (2017). Drought impacts assessment and proposed drought management strategies in Afghanistan. Mountain Society Research Institute.
- Iqbal, M. W., Donjedee, S., & Kwanyuen, B. (2016). Farmers’ perception of water management under drought conditions in Badakshan Province, Afghanistan. In 2nd World Irrigation Forum (WIF2), Chiang Mai, Thailand (pp. 6-8)
- Iqbal, M.W, (2016). Country report on Climate, hydrology, and cryosphere data collection. International Conference on Climate and Environment Change Impact on the Indus Basin Waters (ICIMOD), Katmandu, Nepal.
- Bodhisatya Datta, Rael Sarmeen, Abul Basher, Waleed Khattak, Shankar Paudel, Wasim Iqba, Paul Watkiss, Ludovico Carraro, Ed Humphrey (2016). Scoping Green Growth Challenges and Opportunities in South Asia. Oxford Policy Managemtent, United Kingdom.
In my research, funded by Kasetsart University, I explored the perceptions of rural farming communities in Lao Khuan district, Thailand, regarding the impacts of drought and climate change on their socio-economic activities and environment. Their adaptations at the household level and opinions on government mitigation measures were examined through a structured questionnaire containing both closed-ended and open-ended questions, drawing upon previous drought-related socio-economic studies.
In another study, supported by the University of Central Asia, I assessed the applicability of two frequently-used Artificial Neural Network training algorithms: Back-Propagation (BP) and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM). The goal was to select the most suitable algorithm for developing a streamflow forecasting model in the lower Hari Rud River basin, a vital agricultural area in Afghanistan. This forecasted flow, combined with irrigation water and minimum demand, served as the foundation for analyzing and selecting appropriate agricultural water management strategies, evaluated under various abstraction demand scenarios.
Collaborating with colleagues from the Afghanistan National Water and Environmental Research Center, we assessed the increasing flood risk under climate change effects in a developed urban area of Afghanistan using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at -30 meters for water flow and flood modeling. In research conducted with IWMI, I developed a comprehensive simulation model to assess the impacts of current and future basin development and climate change on demand/supply in the Kabul River Basin. This research provided significant insights and a basis for discussing and evaluating tradeoffs in water management and allocation for both short-term and long-term planning.
I am also deeply interested in water management and governance. My research in this area, conducted with colleagues from Kabul University, ANWERC, and Kabul Polytechnic University through projects funded by the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan, includes a paper on the evaluation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) implementation under rapid growth in the Middle Kabul Basin. This study presented a local IWRM plan that considers the effective utilization of land, water, and other natural resources, addressing vulnerabilities and livelihood opportunities. It offered specific suggestions for activities under three themes: water management, land management, and livelihood management, for government consideration in any district irrigation plan.
My paper on water governance in Afghanistan, “Assessing the Water Governance Practices in Afghanistan: From Understanding to Functioning,” explores the level of implementation, efficiency, strengths, and weaknesses of the water governance system over the last two decades. The methodology employed water governance principles and indicators framework to outline the major institutions in the water sector and gather essential information regarding water governance arrangements and functionalities. Using a desk review, an exploratory qualitative design with participatory approaches including focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), the study evaluated the water governance system, sharing findings with relevant organizations to aid in predicting future directions for water governance functionality and developing appropriate policies.
In a project aimed at improving the sustainability and wealth of Afghanistan's rural population by enhancing social and economic development and reducing hunger and vulnerability, I participated in providing policy tools for groundwater management improvement. This involved reviewing existing documents on groundwater quantity, quality, status, and trends, utilizing a customized review checklist tailored to each document's specific needs. Over the past two decades, I examined a total of seventy published and unpublished documents, including laws, strategies, plans, policy guidance, internal administrative documents, and transcripts of Parliamentary debates, alongside publications from stakeholders.
Watershed Hydrology
Hydraulics
Fluid Mechanics
Water Governance, Policy and Law
Water Disaster Risk Management
- The CAREC Student Research Competition Grant in Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Central Asia and Afghanistan, awarded by the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (World Bank) and Smart Waters (USAID) project | 2018
- International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Grant awarded by the Department of State’s Flagship Professional Exchange | 2016
- Central Asia and Afghanistan Research Fellowships (CAARF), awarded by the Mountain Society Research Institute, University of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan | 2013
- Outstanding Contribution to Education awarded by the President of the Kardan University, Afghanistan | 2012
- The Royal Norwegian Government Scholarship, awarded by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Thailand | 2008
- Editorial Advisory Board, Kardan Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2029-Present
- Associate Editor, KPU International Journal of Engineering and Technology (KPU-iJET), 2020-Present
- Technical Member of Water Resources Planning & Management Committee of American Water Works Association
- Technical Member of Upper Indus Basin (UIB) network
- Technical Member of Supreme Consul of Land and Water of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
- Member of ASHERA Association
- Member of Solution Exchange Community of Practice (CoP) on Sustainable Resource Management facilitated by UNDP Afghanistan