Prof. Sara Nowreen | Environmental and Sustainable Materials | Best Researcher Award
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology | Bangladesh
Prof. Sara Nowreen is a highly accomplished academic and internationally recognized researcher in the field of water resources and climate resilience. She currently serves as a Professor at the Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, where she has built a remarkable career marked by research excellence, mentorship, and leadership in academic and professional communities. Her career reflects a deep commitment to addressing the most pressing challenges in groundwater sustainability, flood management, and climate adaptation, which are critical not only for Bangladesh but also for many regions across the globe. With a reputation for her interdisciplinary expertise and impactful scholarship, she has successfully bridged scientific innovation with policy-relevant solutions, making her a role model for the academic and research community.
Professional Profile
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Education
Prof. Sara Nowreen has pursued an outstanding academic journey that has shaped her into one of the most respected figures in her field. She graduated with distinction in Water Resources Engineering before completing her postgraduate degree at BUET, where her commitment to research and academic excellence was already evident. Later, she pursued advanced doctoral research, further consolidating her expertise in water resources development, groundwater processes, and climate-induced hydrological challenges. Along the way, she received prestigious fellowships and scholarships, including national and international recognitions, which supported her academic advancement and broadened her global outlook. Her educational background, enriched by international exposure and rigorous training, has provided her with a robust foundation for her pioneering research career.
Experience
Over the course of her academic and professional journey, Prof. Sara Nowreen has accumulated extensive experience in research, teaching, and collaborative project leadership. She began her career with strong contributions in applied research and soon transitioned into academic teaching, taking on progressively responsible roles within the university. As a faculty member, she has nurtured generations of students while also expanding the boundaries of knowledge through innovative projects on aquifer recharge, deltaic water dynamics, and hydrogeological modeling. Beyond her academic responsibilities, she has contributed to global research partnerships, working with international scholars, policy think-tanks, and development organizations. Her field experience, combined with her ability to translate research findings into policy and practice, distinguishes her as a leader whose expertise resonates both within academic circles and in broader societal contexts.
Research Interests
Prof. Sara Nowreen’s research portfolio reflects a rare blend of technical depth and interdisciplinary breadth. Her primary areas of focus include groundwater recharge processes, aquifer system sustainability, and climate-related impacts on hydrology in deltaic and coastal environments. She has advanced methodologies using remote sensing, geographic information systems, and hydrological modeling, often integrating machine learning approaches for enhanced predictive accuracy. Beyond technical sciences, she has pioneered studies linking water security with gender, cultural heritage, and community resilience, thereby capturing the human dimension of water governance. She has also been a vocal advocate for participatory water management, ensuring that the voices of vulnerable communities are integrated into planning processes. Her vision is to create sustainable, climate-resilient societies through a holistic understanding of the water–energy–climate nexus.
Awards
In recognition of her remarkable achievements, Prof. Sara Nowreen has received numerous awards and honors from national and international organizations. She has been acknowledged for excellence in scientific presentations, impactful publications, and contributions to collaborative research in climate adaptation and water resources. She has also been honored with competitive research fellowships and has consistently secured prestigious grants from international funding bodies, which enabled her to lead transformative projects with global significance. Within her institution, she has been celebrated with incentives and excellence awards for her contributions to high-impact research. These recognitions affirm her dedication, perseverance, and ability to translate scientific research into practical solutions that benefit both academia and society at large.
Publications
Prof. Sara Nowreen has authored and co-authored a substantial body of scholarly work published in highly respected journals of international repute. Her publications span topics such as aquifer recharge, urban and rural groundwater dynamics, flood management, and climate resilience in vulnerable regions. Each of her works has garnered significant academic attention, with high citation counts reflecting the influence of her research on global scholarship. Selected publications include:
Title: Mechanisms and drivers of soil salinity in coastal Bangladesh
Journal: Ecosystem Services for Well-Being in Deltas
Published on: 2018
Citation: 117
Title: Changes of rainfall extremes around the haor basin areas of Bangladesh using multi-member ensemble RCM
Journal: Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Published on: 2015
Citation: 96
Title: Flood hazard mapping of Sangu River basin in Bangladesh using multi‐criteria analysis of hydro‐geomorphological factors
Journal: Journal of Flood Risk Management
Published on: 2021
Citation: 92
Title: Historical analysis of rationalizing South West coastal polders of Bangladesh
Journal: Water Policy
Published on: 2014
Citation: 86
Title: The Bengal Water Machine: Quantified freshwater capture in Bangladesh
Journal: Science
Published on: 2022
Citation: 40
Title: Development of potential map for groundwater abstraction in the northwest region of Bangladesh using RS-GIS-based weighted overlay analysis and water-table-fluctuation technique
Journal: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Published on: 2021
Citation: 34
Title: Landscape epidemiology modeling using an agent-based model and a geographic information system
Journal: Land
Published on: 2015
Citation: 28
Conclusion
Prof. Sara Nowreen represents the finest qualities of a modern researcher, combining academic rigor, interdisciplinary breadth, and social relevance in her work. Her extensive teaching experience, pioneering publications, and numerous awards highlight her as an influential scholar whose work continues to shape the discourse on water resources and climate resilience. Through her contributions, she has not only advanced science but also empowered communities and policymakers with actionable knowledge. She embodies the vision of a researcher who bridges discovery with impact, and her candidature for the Best Researcher Award stands as a testament to her extraordinary contributions and unwavering dedication to science and society.
