Shahbaz Khan
Encyclopedia
Climatology
Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...
and hydrologist
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
. He is currently Chief of Section on Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management. His work at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
includes the Water Education for Sustainable Development, Hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
for Environment, Life and Policy (HELP)http://www.unesco.org/water/ihp/help/, Ecohydrology, Water and Ethics, Energy and Food Nexus within the International Hydrological Programme
International Hydrological Programme
The International Hydrological Programme is a scientific programme of UNESCO that focuses on the use and availability of water.- On-line resources :*...
(IHP). He advises UN member states on environmental policies, review of curricula, and securing multilateral support for research and education projects especially in the Asia-Pacific and African regions.
Work
Khan has been a proponent and champion of a range of innovative water management programs by working closely with the Australian government e.g. Australian Prime Minister’s 2007, $10 billion, 10 point, 10 year rural water security plan. He has played a vital role in bringing together multidisciplinary research programs; e.g., a new program aimed at combining irrigation, other competing uses and the environment together (System HarmonisationTM Program http://www.irrigationfutures.org.au/programs.asp?ID=6) under the Australian Cooperative Research Centres initiative. This program brings together key researchers from 15 advanced research partners across Australia.Khan was previously Professor of Hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
and Director of International Centre of Water at the Charles Sturt University Australia and Research Leader/Director of Irrigated Systems and Rural Water Use areas of CSIRO Australia http://news.csu.edu.au/director/features.cfm?itemID=F2CB4A69BECEE004C2CA3D6D494D7496&printtemplate=release.
Achievements
Khan has been a proponent of community driven research. Examples of his stakeholder initiatives include his Chairmanship of Irrigated Cropping Forum Australia and programme leadership of System Harmonisation through Regional Irrigation Business Partnerships for Cooperative Research Centre-Irrigation Futures. He was a member of the Australian Prime Minister’s Vision 2020 Team http://bacs-s02.bacs.uq.edu.au/sib/sib-news/may08/possingham1.pdf.Khan has received the Australian Eureka Award http://lwa.gov.au/News_and_Events/Articles/Eureka_Prize_winner_improving_irrigation_efficiency_and_environmental_outcomes/indexdl_7709.htm, Australia-New Zealand Modelling and Simulation Society Biennial Medal http://www.clw.csiro.au/new/2007/BiennialMedal%20.html, CSIRO Medal http://www.csiro.au/files/files/pne4.rtf, Charles Sturt University’s Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award 2006, CLW 2004, “Partner or Perish Award”, 2005 winning team Research Director, 2005 CSIRO Environmental Prize, CSIRO Land and Water (CLW) Division Year 2000 “Exceptional Achievements Award”. Khan has been featured in the Australian National media e.g. The Australian on water, environment and population issues http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/yoursay/index.php/theaustralian/comments/worse_droughts_ahead/.
Khan has developed SWAGMAN series of mathematical models of irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, drought management, groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
flow and contaminant transport and surface-groundwater interactions http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/projects/projects22.pdf.