Climate Change Diagnosis and Attributions Research Group


Group Introduction

Ample observational evidence indicates that the state of climate on the earth is changing both on global and on regional scales. Our group is applying various statistical and dynamic techniques to quantify this change for south Asia, in particular for Pakistan, using the observed, gridded and simulated datasets. Attempts are underway to identify the physical mechanisms contributing to these changes through the use of simplified as well as through the use of state-of-art Coupled Atmosphere Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs).

Various climatic variables including the precipitation and temperature are considered to quantify these changes. Projected changes in climate of Pakistan are also investigated using IPCC and non-IPCC based AOGCMs. Implications of diagnosed and projected climate change are currently studied for various social sectors, including but not limited to high mountain eco systems and vector borne diseases. Perception and numerical studies of stratospheric sulfate injection as a mean of reduce rising temperatures due to climate change are also attempted, as they pertain to region of Pakistan.

Group Members

  1. Dr. Athar Hussain (Professor)

    Group Leader

    Research Topic: Climate Change Attributions

    E-mail: athar.hussain@comsats.edu.pk

    Visit us at ccrd.edu.pk

  2. Dr. Ahmad Waqas (Assistant Professor)

    Research Topic: Climate Variability

  3. Dr. Nabeel Ahmed

    Research Topic: Rainfall Characterization in Pakistan

  4. Dr. Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar (SUPARCO, Islamabad)

    Research Topic: Agro-ecosystem characterization in Pakistan

  5. Muhammad Saad Arif (MS Research Scholar)

    Research Topic: Agro-Meteorology via Remote Sensing

  6. Muhammad Sheryar (MS Research Scholar)

    Research Topic: Hydrological Study of Upper Indus Basin

  7. Hassaan Fayyaz Khan Sipra (Climate Expert, USA)

    Research Topic: Climate Projections of Pakistan

Graduated Students

  1. Mr. Asmat Ullah (completed MS)

    Research Topic: An AOGCM Based Diagnostic Study of Climate Change and its Variability in Pakistan

  2. Ms. Ayesha Ahmed (completed MS)

    Research Topic: Investigating the Interannual Variability of Winter Rainfall in Pakistan and its Association with Western Disturbances

  3. Mr. Burhan Ahmed (completed MS)

    Research Topic: An Analysis of Recent Climate Change in Pakistan

  4. Mr. Waseem Ahmed (completed MS)

    Research Topic: Analyzing Temporal Change in Urban/Suburban Growth and its Influence on Changing Climate Using Landsat Imagery: A case study of Rawalpindi city, Punjab, Pakistan

  5. Ms. Syeda Batool Tazeem (completed MS)

    Research Topic: Spatio-temporal Variations of Aerosols and Meteorological Variables for Haqel and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during 2008-2012

  6. Ms. Sumaira Yousaf (completed MS)

    Research Topic: Long Term Variability of Land Surface Temperature and Population Growth in Central East Punjab

  7. Mr. Muhammad Shoaib(completed MS)

    Research Topic: A Study of Malaria Disease Using VECTRI Malaria Model in the Selected Malaria Endemic Regions of Pakistan

  8. Ms. Sundleen Jannat (completed MS)

    Research Topic: GIS Based Cluster Analysis of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Patients in Selected Areas of Pakistan

  9. Ms. Kanwal Latif (completed MS)

    Research Topic: Spatial Distribution of Acute Myocardial Infarction Disease in Rawalakot and Islamabad using GIS Environment

  10. Mr. Muhammad Farooq Iqbal (completed PhD)

    Research Topic: Spatiotemporal Assessment of Precipitation for Hydrological Applications over Diverse Topography of Pakistan

  11. Mr. Ahmed Waqas (completed PhD)

    Research Topic: Spatiotemporal Impact of Temperature and Precipitation on the Cryosphere of Pakistan in Changing Climate

  12. Mr. Nabeel Ahmed (completed PhD)

    Research Topic: Precipitation Variability and Associated Wet and Dry Spell Characterization in Pakistan

  13. Mr. Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar (completed PhD)

    Research Topic: Climate Integrated Remote Sensing Based Assessment of Agro-Ecosystem in Northern and Central Pakistan

Ex Members

  1. Dr. Ghazala Qaiser
  2. Ms. Kalsoom Khan
  3. Ms. Nabeela Sadaf
  4. Mr. Umar Farooq
  5. Ms. Sadia Zia
  6. Mr. Hammad Ghazanfar
  7. Dr. Rizwan Mughal

Selected Recent Publications

  1. Hydrological Investigation of Subsurface Glacial Lake Outburst Floods at Bindo Gol Valley under Changing Climate, Pakistan Sarfraz Khan, Umair Bin Nisar, H. Athar, Nabeel Ahmad and Babar Siddique, Journal of Applied Geophysics 201,104633 (2022)
  2. Projected changes in climate of Pakistan using IPCC AR5 based climate models Athar, A. Nabeel, I. Nadeem, and F. Saeed, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 145, 567-584 (2021)
  3. Stochastic projection of precipitation and wet and dry spells over Pakistan using IPCC AR5 based AOGCMs Nabeel and H. Athar, Atmospheric Research, 234, 104742 (2020)
  4. Contribution of changing precipitation and climatic oscillations in explaining variability of water extents of large reservoirs in Pakistan Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar and H. Athar, Scientific Reports, 9, 19022 (2019)
  5. Recent decadal variability of daily temperature in Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalaya region in northern Pakistan Waqas and H. Athar, Climate Dynamics, 52, 6931-6951 (2019)
  6. Observed diurnal temperature range variations and its association with observed cloud cover in northern Pakistan, A. Waqas and H. Athar, International Journal of Climatology, 38, 3323-3336 (2018).
  7. An AOGCM based assessment of interseasonal variability in Pakistan, U. Asmat, H. Athar, A. Nabeel and M. Latif. Climate Dynamics, 50, 349-373 (2018).
  8. Classification of precipitation regimes in Pakistan using wet and dry spells, A. Nabeel and H. Athar, International Journal of Climatology 38, 2462-2477 (2018).

Selected Recent Talks

  1. Presented a talk entitled ‘Vector Borne Diseases in Changing Climate of Pakistan’ in International Conference and Workshop “Changing Climate and Dengue Fever in the era of COVID-19”, given by Dr. Athar, held at CUI, Islamabad, on 10 February, 2022.
  2. Presented a talk entitled ‘Climate Change and Global Warming
    and how to integrate them into nutrition frameworks and policies’ as a panelist in Panel Discussion on ‘Climate Change and Nutrition’ in National Workshop on ‘Building Nutrition Resilience: Integrating Gender and Climate Change’, given by Dr. Athar, held at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, on 09 Dec 2019, organized by Action Against Hunger.
  3. Talk entitled ‘Trans-Boundary Hydro-Ecological and Spatio-Temporal Characterization of Large Water Reservoirs’ given by Dr. Athar and I. H. Akhtar at United Nations/Pakistan/PSIPW 4th International Conference on Space Technology for Water management, 26 February – 2 March, 2018, Islamabad. 

International Collaborators:

  1. Dr Daniele Visioni Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca NY USA 
  2. Prof. Anthony Lupo Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
  3. Dr. Fahad Saeed, Climate Analytics, Belin, Germany
  4. Dr. Kingsley Eghonghon Ukhurebor Department of Physics, Edo State University Uzairue, Edo State, Nigeria

Created: August 2013

Last Updated: August 2022