Dr. Mohamed Behnassi
Dr. Behnassi is currently Senior Environmentalist Expert at the Economic, Social and
Environmental Council (CESE), Rabat, Morocco. From December 2004 to June 2022,
he was Professor at the College of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences, Ibn Zohr
University of Agadir. He holds a Ph.D. in International Environmental Law and
Governance (Hassan II University of Casablanca, 2003) and a Diploma in
International Environmental Law and Diplomacy (University of Eastern Finland and
UNEP, 2015). He is currently Founding Director of the Center for Environment, Human
Security and Governance (CERES)—Former North-South Center for Social Sciences
(NRCS). From 2015 to 2018, he was Director of the Research Laboratory for
Territorial Governance, Human Security and Sustainability (LAGOS). In recent years,
he was appointed as Expert Evaluator by the National Center for Scientific and
Technical Research (CNRST/Morocco), Scoping Expert and Review Editor by the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES), and Lead Author and Coordinating Lead Author by the
Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MEDECC). His main
research and expertise area includes international law and politics of environment
and human security. In these areas, he published considerable number of scientific
papers and book chapters in addition to 20 books, including recent ones on: Food
Security and Climate-Climate Smart Food Systems - Building Resilience for the Global
South (Springer, 2022); The Climate-Conflict-Migration Nexus from a Human
Security Perspective (Springer, 2022); and Social-Ecological Systems in the Era of
Risks and Insecurity - Pathways to Viability and Resilience (Springer, 2021).He
serves as Reviewer for many global publishers (such as Routledge and Springer) and
scientific journals with high impact factor. He has organized many international
conferences covering the above research areas, managed many research and
expertise projects, and is regularly requested to provide scientific expertise nationally
and internationally. Other professional activities include social compliance auditing
and consultancy by monitoring human rights at work and the sustainability of the
global supply chain.
Dr. Abdumalek A. Al-Shaikh
Dr. Al-Shaikh is Director of the Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water,
and Desert Research at the King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He
earned his Ph.D. in Arid Land Studies from the University of Arizona, USA, in 1983.
He also serves as General Secretary of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International
Prize for Water (PSIPW). The prize is awarded bi-annually at the United Nations
Headquarters. Being Director and Research Chair, he oversees the Research
Programs at the Institute. He is Team Leader of many research projects concerning
the environment, desertification, climate change, and water harvesting in Saudi
Arabia including the King Fahd Project for Water Harvesting and Storage in Saudi
Arabia, Prince Sultan Project for Villages and Hamlets Rehabilitation in Saudi
Arabia, the Space Images Atlas of Saudi Arabia, and the Environmental Atlas of
Saudi Arabia. Being Chairman of the international conferences on water resources
and arid environments, he successfully organized them at the King Saud University.
He has brought world fame water scientists to Saudi Arabia and published nine
proceedings of organized international conferences. He has published extensively in
journals of international repute.
Dr. Mirza Barjees Baig
Dr. Baig is Professor at the Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water, and
Desert Research, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He earned his M.S. degree in
International Agricultural Extension in 1992 from the Utah State University, Logan,
Utah, USA, and was placed on the ‘Roll of Honor’. He completed his Ph.D. in
Extension for Natural Resource Management from the University of Idaho, USA, and
was honored with the ‘1995 Outstanding Graduate Student Award’. He has
published extensively on the issues associated with natural resources in national
and international journals. He has also made oral presentations about agriculture
and natural resources and the role of extension education at various international
conferences. Food waste, water management, degradationof natural resources,
deteriorating environment, and their relationship with society/community are his
areas of interest. He has attempted to develop strategies to conserve natural
resources, promote the environment, and develop sustainable communities. He
started his scientific career in 1983 as Researcher at the Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan. He served at the University of Guelph,
Ontario, Canada, as Special Graduate Faculty from 2000 to 2005. He served as
Foreign Professor at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Pakistan, through
the Higher Education Commission from 2005 to 2009. He served as Professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society at the King Saud University, Saudi Arabia,
from 2009 to 2020. He serves as well on the Editorial Boards of many international
journals and is a member of many international professional organizations.
Prof. Dr. Riaz Hussain Qureshi
Professor Qureshi is Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Professor
Emeritus, and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad,
and former Advisor (Quality Assurance and Learning Innovation/HRD) of the Higher
Education Commission of Pakistan. He obtained Ph.D. from the University of Wales,
and M.Sc. and B.Sc. with distinction from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
He has been President of Soil Science Society of Pakistan, Member of the Steering
Committee of International Irrigation Management Institute (IWMI), Member of
Research Advisory Committees of PARC and NIBGE, National Coordinator of Saline
Agri. Project for 8 years. He supervised 13 Ph.D. and 74 M.Sc. (Hons) students and
authored over 200 research papers (including one in Nature) and reports. He was
Chief Editor of Pakistan Journal of Agriculture Sciences for eight years and was in
charge of many international projects from U.K., Australia, USA, Philippines, and
Japan. He is Pioneer of introducing Saline Agriculture Technology in Pakistan. His
co-authored book on Saline Agri. for Irrigated Land in Pakistan has been published
by the Australian Centre for International Agri. Research. He received many honors
and awards, including Sir William Roberts Shield and Scholarships for M.Sc. and
Ph.D. studies, Borlaug Award, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Best Scientist of the
Year Award, and Pakistan Civil Award Pride of Performance.
Dr. Turki Khalufa A. Faraj
Dr. Turki Khalufa A. Faraj is Assistant Professor at the College of Food and
Agriculture Sciences and Environmental Consultant in Prince Sultan
Institute for Environmental Water and Desert Research, King Saud University,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is Supervisor in Mentoring Track at Distinguished &
Talented Students Program and Vice Rectorate for Educational and Academic
Affairs. He has Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Public Health, Risk Assessment and
Epidemiology, University of East Anglia, UK, 2012, Master of Environmental
Science, Environmental Health, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land
Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 2002, and Bachelor of
Environmental Science—Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land
Agriculture—King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 1994. He has published extensively on the environmental issues faced by the mankind today. He is part of the many scientific research projects of vital importance in the Kingdom. He serves on the editorial boards of numerous scientific research journals.
