Abdou Khouakhi

Dr. Abdou Khouakhi is a Lecturer in Remote Sensing at the Cranfield Environment Centre, Cranfield University. He holds a PhD in coastal hazards and coastal vulnerability, with extensive postdoctoral experience at the IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at The University of Iowa, USA, and as a research associate at Loughborough University, UK. His academic journey reflects a strong commitment to understanding environmental challenges through advanced technological approaches.

Dr. Khouakhi's educational background includes:

• PhD in coastal hazards and coastal vulnerability, focusing on satellite and aerial remote sensing data integration with spatial modeling for coastal erosion and flood risk assessment
• Postdoctoral research at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, The University of Iowa, USA
• Research associate position at Loughborough University, UK, working on EPSRC-funded projects

His research centers on understanding extreme climate hazards and their present and future impacts through systems-based approaches. Dr. Khouakhi integrates Earth observation, data science, AI, and climate model data to analyze how these hazards affect population, soil, agriculture, ecology, and broader environmental systems. His work spans coastal vulnerability, flood monitoring, climate extremes, and agricultural impacts, with a particular focus on the interconnectedness of these environmental challenges. He has developed expertise in applying machine learning techniques to environmental problems and has contributed significantly to the development of real-time monitoring systems using IoT technology.

Dr. Khouakhi's recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research that combines remote sensing with machine learning to address complex environmental challenges. His work spans climate extremes, flood monitoring, agricultural impacts, and water resource management, with increasing emphasis on explainable AI approaches and compound climate extremes. His research shows a clear progression from coastal hazard assessment to broader climate impact analysis, reflecting the evolving nature of environmental challenges in a changing climate.

Dr. Khouakhi actively mentors MSc students, with recent supervision topics covering landscape-scale remote sensing for conservation, agricultural water management using remote sensing, EO-based approaches for irrigated area mapping, extreme weather impacts on crop production, and advanced SAR techniques for drought detection. He has secured funding from major research councils including EPSRC, GCRF, and NERC, demonstrating the significance and relevance of his research to national and international environmental challenges.

As an educator, Dr. Khouakhi leads key modules including Applied Earth Observation, Advanced GIS, Real World Machine Learning, and Environmental Risks. He has also developed specialized short courses such as 'Earth Observation Data Science' and 'R for Hydrology' to address professional development needs in the environmental sector.