Utilizing Earth Observation Data in Reaching Sustainable Development Goals

Dr. Aqil Tariq is a Research Associate in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University, USA. His research interests are 3D geoinformation, urban analytics, spatial analysis to examine land use/land cover, geospatial data science, urban planning, crop identification using SAR and optical satellite imagery, agriculture monitoring, forest fire, forest monitoring, forest cover dynamics, spatial statistics, multi-criteria algorithms, ecosystem sustainability, hazards risk reduction, statistical analysis and modeling (Google Earth Engine, HEC-RAS, FlowR, RAMMS, GeoClaw, COSI-Corr, SfM) using Python, R, and MATLAB. He is a member of different international science communities, i.e., Individual Membership of ISPRS, International Water Resources Association, International Association of Geodesy, and the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI). He has attended more than 30 training workshops from the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) ARSET program. Dr. Umar Iqbal is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Illinois State University, USA, with research expertise in autonomous systems, sensor fusion, and intelligent navigation technologies. He has published over 50 papers (1000+ citations, h-index 18), and his work spans MEMS-based inertial navigation systems, GNSS integration, and advanced radar/LiDAR sensing, complemented by AI-driven positioning solutions. He has secured over $1.5 million in competitive research funding and actively collaborates with international research teams. Dr. Iqbal serves as an editor and reviewer for leading engineering journals, and his leadership experience spans roles in both the United States and Canada. Dr. Artan Hysa is a Lecturer at Epoka University, currently working on exploring new methods of land use/ land cover (LULC) data utility for nature-based solutions. His focus is on assessing the quality and inter-connectivity of the blue-green infrastructure as a crucial resource for providing various ecosystem services. In the scope of the doctoral research, he has explored transdisciplinary research methods and digital techniques leading to holistic findings in spatial management and planning. More precisely, he is working on using land use/land cover data in various sustainable spatial planning and management decision-making processes.