Ph.D. Student – Awais Naeem Sarwar

Rana Awais Naeem

Ph.D. Student at University Federico II of Naples

Google Scholar, ResearchGate, LinkedIn 

Email: awaisnaeem.sarwar@unina.it

              ranaawais094@gmail.com

Description of the Activities

Awais Naeem Sarwar’s research focuses on water resources management by designing and modeling Nature-based Solutions (NbS), especially in diverse and data-scarce environments. He investigates how hydrological modeling can optimize NbS like wetlands, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems under varying environmental and socio-economic conditions.

Key aspects include:

1. Hydrological Modeling for NbS: Developing and applying models to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS in mitigating flooding, improving water quality, and enhancing ecosystem services, while considering site-specific factors.

2. Enhancing the DREAM Model: Collaborating to improve the DREAM Model (Distributed Runoff, Evapotranspiration, and Antecedent Soil Moisture Model) for use in data-scarce regions like Southern Italy, integrating remote sensing, machine learning, and process-based modeling.

3. Integrating NbS into Planning: Exploring the combination of NbS and conventional engineering in urban and peri-urban areas, analyzing socio-economic and environmental benefits, and identifying implementation challenges.

The research provides actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing context-specific solutions that balance environmental, institutional, and socio-economic needs. It highlights the potential of NbS to address water management challenges sustainably and effectively.

Publications

Cammalleri, C., A. N. Sarwar, A. Avino, G. Nikravesh, B. Bonaccorso, G. Mendicino, A. Senatore, S. Manfreda, Testing trends in gridded rainfall datasets at relevant hydrological scales: A comparative study with regional ground observations in Southern ItalyJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, Volume 55, October 2024, 101950, 2024. [pdf]