Reza Chamani | Sustainable Development | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Popular Engineer

Dr. Reza Chamani | Sustainable Development | Best Researcher Award

Post Doctoral Researcher at Tarbiat Modares University in Iran

Dr. Reza Chamani is a dedicated researcher in Watershed Management Sciences & Engineering, currently serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran. With a passion for hydrological sustainability, Dr. Chamani’s work focuses on watershed health, climate resilience, and ecological security. He earned his Ph.D. from TMU, where he developed models to assess the effect of hydrologic service changes on watershed health. Over the past decade, he has been actively involved in the implementation, assessment, and design of watershed structures across South Khorasan. His research contributions include over 15 publications in reputed journals and affiliations with professional bodies like the Iran Watershed Association and the World Association for Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC). Dr. Chamani brings academic rigor, practical field experience, and visionary research on land degradation neutrality, making him a strong candidate for international recognition in sustainable water resource management.

Professional Profile

Education 

Dr. Reza Chamani holds a distinguished academic background in watershed and environmental management. He completed his Ph.D. in 2023 in Watershed Management Sciences & Engineering from Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), where his research focused on evaluating the impact of hydrologic service changes resulting from watershed management measures on watershed health. He is currently pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at TMU, continuing his work on implementing land degradation neutrality-based action plans for Iran’s second-order priority watersheds. Prior to this, he earned his Master’s degree in 2015 from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, studying the role of land use management in climate change adaptation, in collaboration with the University of Jena, Germany. His academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in 2010 from Zabol University, with a focus on pasture and watershed management. His education spans interdisciplinary and international experiences, setting a solid foundation for his applied research in sustainable watershed practices.

Experience

Dr. Reza Chamani brings a wealth of practical and research-based experience in watershed management. Between 2017 and 2019, he actively contributed to Iran’s Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management in South Khorasan, where he participated in detailed design, planning, and implementation of dam and watershed rehabilitation projects across the Noferst and Bisheh watersheds. His hands-on involvement included detailed structure measurements and preparing regional status reports. At the academic level, Dr. Chamani has collaborated with national and international researchers and served under the supervision of eminent scientists like Prof. Dr. S.H. Sadeghi and Prof. Dr. Mehdi Vafakhah. His experience bridges fieldwork and scientific inquiry, making his contributions especially valuable to sustainable land and water resource projects. As a Postdoctoral Researcher, he now works on strategic watershed health plans, integrating policy-relevant models and global frameworks like Land Degradation Neutrality. His dual expertise in practice and theory amplifies the applicability and impact of his research.

Research Focus 

Dr. Chamani’s research focuses on the interdisciplinary study of watershed health, climate resilience, and sustainable water resource management. He applies cutting-edge models like the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework, and the Reliability–Resilience–Vulnerability (RRV) model, to assess watershed performance under environmental stressors such as drought and climate change. His current postdoctoral research targets land degradation neutrality-based planning for Iran’s second-order priority watersheds, a concept promoted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Dr. Chamani also investigates the hydrological impacts of land use changes, evaluates ecological security through spatial modeling, and forecasts watershed behavior using GIS and remote sensing. His work is applied in scope, offering insights for policy development, infrastructure design, and adaptive land-use planning. Collaborating across institutions and disciplines, he aims to ensure that watershed interventions are both environmentally sustainable and socially responsible, contributing meaningfully to regional climate adaptation strategies and global sustainability goals.

Publication Top Notes

1. Watershed health and ecological security zoning throughout Iran

Authors: SH Sadeghi, R Chamani, MZ Silabi, M Tavosi, A Katebikord, …
Journal: Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 905, Article 167123
Cited by: 29 | Year: 2023
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive national-scale ecological zoning of Iran based on watershed health and ecological security. Using a multi-criteria decision-making approach, it identifies critical zones requiring immediate management interventions.

2. Changes in reliability–resilience–vulnerability-based watershed health under climate change scenarios in the Efin Watershed, Iran

Authors: R Chamani, M Vafakhah, SH Sadeghi
Journal: Natural Hazards, 116(2), 2457–2476
Cited by: 19 | Year: 2023
Summary: The paper evaluates watershed health in Efin under climate change using reliability, resilience, and vulnerability (RRV) indices. It highlights future risks and offers guidance for sustainable watershed management.

3. Assessment of the effect of climate change on the health status of Atrak watershed in Northeastern of Iran

Authors: R Chamani, M Vafakhah, M Tavosi, S Zare
Journal: Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 15(24), 1745
Cited by: 13 | Year: 2022
Summary: Investigates the impact of climate projections on the Atrak Watershed’s ecological health using scenario-based modeling. Findings suggest serious degradation under high-emission pathways.

4. Reliability, resilience, and vulnerability of Chalous Watershed based on drought index

Authors: R Chamani, SH Sadeghi, M Vafakhah, M Naghdi
Journal: Watershed Engineering and Management, 14(1), 65–75
Cited by: 9 | Year: 2022
Summary: This study evaluates the Chalous watershed’s response to drought conditions using RRV indices. Results provide insight into its adaptive capacity and inform drought mitigation strategies.

5. Flood‐oriented watershed health and ecological security conceptual modeling using pressure, state, and response (PSR) approach for the Sharghonj Watershed, South Khorasan

Authors: R Chamani, SH Sadeghi, S Zare, H Shekohideh, A Mumzaei, H Amini, …
Journal: Natural Resource Modeling, 37(1), e12385
Cited by: 7 | Year: 2024
Summary: Introduces a PSR-based conceptual model for assessing flood-induced impacts on watershed health. Emphasizes the need for proactive watershed and disaster management.

6. Effect of drought on temporal-spatial changes of the Efin Watershed health

Authors: R Chamani, M Vafakhah, SHR Sadeghi
Journal: Watershed Engineering and Management, 15(1), 1–12
Cited by: 7 | Year: 2023
Summary: Analyzes spatial and temporal drought effects on Efin Watershed health, proposing adaptive water management strategies.

7. Evaluation and variability of flood-oriented health of Shiraz Darwazeh Quran Watershed from watershed management structures

Authors: SH Sadeghi, M Tavoosi, S Zare, V Beiranvandi, H Shekohideh, …
Journal: Watershed Engineering and Management
Cited by: 6 | Year: 2022
Summary: Evaluates the effectiveness of structural measures on flood-related watershed health using empirical data and modeling.

8. Hydrological response to future climate changes in Chehelchay Watershed in Golestan Province

Authors: R Chamani, M Azari, S Kralisch
Journal: Watershed Engineering and Management, 12(1), 72–85
Cited by: 6 | Year: 2020
Summary: Assesses the impact of climate change on hydrological patterns in Chehelchay Watershed using SWAT model simulations.

9. Flood-oriented watershed health and ecological security conceptual modeling using PSR approach for the Sharghonj watershed, South Khorasan Province, Iran

Authors: R Chamani, SH Sadeghi, S Zare, H Shekohideh, A Mumzaei, H Amini, …
Journal: Natural Resource Modeling, Article e12385
Cited by: 5 | Year: 2023
Summary: Duplicate entry of #5 with minor variation in title. Focus remains on flood-driven ecological health modeling using the PSR framework.

10. Health variability based on SPI and estimating median and mean health indices in watersheds and townships of Kermanshah Province, Iran

Authors: SH Sadeghi, R Chamani, M Kalehhouei, K Haji
Journal: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–21
Cited by: 4 | Year: 2024
Summary: Uses the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to evaluate watershed health across Kermanshah, providing a new method for spatial health estimation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dr. Reza Chamani is not only a qualified but also a highly deserving nominee for the Best Researcher Award. His innovative, data-driven contributions to watershed health, resilience modeling, and ecological security have significantly advanced both the scientific understanding and applied practices in watershed management in Iran and beyond. With a forward-looking research agenda and demonstrated scientific rigor, Dr. Chamani exemplifies the qualities of a modern environmental scientist and is a strong candidate to be honored with this distinction.

Meng Duan | Engineering and Technology | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Popular Engineer

Dr. Meng Duan | Engineering and Technology | Best Researcher Award

Engineer, Water Resources Research Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

Meng Duan is a dedicated engineer and researcher in the field of agricultural water resource management, currently working at the Water Resources Research Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. He earned his Ph.D. in Water Conservancy Engineering from China Agricultural University and has since made significant contributions to the study of evapotranspiration, water-carbon flux, and crop growth modeling. His research efforts have directly influenced water-saving irrigation strategies and sustainable agriculture in arid regions of China. With funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and collaborations with top institutions, Duan’s work bridges scientific innovation and field application. He has published widely in SCI-indexed journals, authored a highly regarded monograph, and holds a national patent related to crop canopy structure modeling. Recognized as an NSFC Excellent Young Scholar, Meng Duan continues to advance integrated water and agricultural solutions for regional and national impact.

Profile

Orcid

Education

Meng Duan received his doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Water Conservancy Engineering from China Agricultural University, one of China’s premier agricultural and environmental research institutions. His doctoral studies focused on integrated water resource management and crop modeling, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. During his academic journey, he conducted extensive research in the Heihe River Basin—a critical area for understanding water transformation and oasis agriculture. His thesis emphasized multi-process coupling mechanisms within soil-plant-atmosphere systems. He complemented his formal education with practical research experiences in national labs and collaborated with experts from the National Key Laboratory of Watershed Water Cycle Simulation. His strong academic foundation laid the groundwork for his future roles in applied water resource engineering, interdisciplinary modeling, and sustainable irrigation systems. With robust training in both theoretical frameworks and computational modeling techniques, Duan emerged from his education well-prepared to tackle complex hydrological and agricultural challenges.

Professional Experience 

Meng Duan currently serves as an Engineer at the Water Resources Research Institute of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In this capacity, he has designed and implemented advanced models for evapotranspiration estimation, crop growth behavior, and water-carbon flux quantification. His professional track record includes leadership in several prestigious national-level research projects funded by the NSFC and the National Key Laboratory. Between 2015 and 2025, Duan contributed to over six major multi-year research programs, including work on scalable evapotranspiration models and the development of efficient irrigation systems tailored to China’s arid agricultural zones. Beyond research, he has played a crucial role in policy consultation for water use regulation and agronomic strategy optimization in Inner Mongolia. His technical contributions span data simulation, system integration, and predictive analytics for agricultural productivity. Through collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams and institutions, Duan has gained a reputation as a practical and visionary water resource engineer.

Research Focus 

Meng Duan’s research is centered on sustainable agricultural water management in arid and semi-arid regions. He specializes in evapotranspiration modeling, water-carbon flux analysis, and crop growth simulation. His work bridges the theoretical and practical realms by developing tools and methods that improve irrigation efficiency and crop productivity. A major focus of his research is understanding the dynamic interactions between soil, mulch, plant, and atmospheric systems, especially under water-stressed conditions. He has developed innovative models to link canopy structure with radiation efficiency, significantly boosting maize yields and optimizing water use. With NSFC-funded support, Duan’s research has resulted in tangible irrigation strategies that reduce water usage by up to 25% in Inner Mongolia. He continues to explore how remote sensing, environmental physics, and data-driven modeling can synergize to support food security and ecological resilience in vulnerable agricultural zones.

Publication Top Notes

  1. Meng Duan, Baozhong Zhang. (2025).
    Title: Modeling the Impact of Canopy Structure on Crop Water Use Efficiency in Arid Zones
    Journal: Agronomy
    Indexing: SCI, IF = 3.7, CAS II
    Summary: This study explores how variations in canopy structure affect evapotranspiration and crop yield, providing a model for improving irrigation practices in drylands.

Conclusion:

 Meng Duan stands out as a highly competent and impactful early-career researcher, especially in the specialized field of agricultural water resources engineering. His research contributes significantly to sustainable water   management, food security, and agro-ecological modeling in arid regions of China.