Research Coordinator / Assistant Professor
Dr. M. Rafiqul Islam
Email Address
rafiqul@idss.uiu.ac.bd
Location
UIU, Madani Avenue, Dhaka-1212
Profile Summary
Dr. M. Rafiqul Islam (PhD, University of Verona) is a scholar of water governance, climate change, and sustainable development with extensive interdisciplinary research experience. He began working as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Development Studies and Sustainability (IDSS), School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SoHS), United International University (UIU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he contributes to advancing research and pedagogy on development, climate resilience, and community sustainability.
Dr. Islam previously served as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow and INVITE Early Stage Researcher at the Department of Economics, University of Verona, Italy. He also worked as a Research Associate at Dhaka University, and held research positions at institutions such as the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), DECCMA, BRAC, and IDRC.
Dr. Islam has presented his work at global forums such as the International Conference on Sustainable Development, World Water Congress, European Researcher’s Night, and international sustainability conferences, and has served as a reviewer for leading journals in water resources and climate governance.
He holds academic degrees from the University of Verona (PhD in Economics), University of Twente (MSc in Water Governance), and University of Dhaka (MBA in Banking), along with several professional training in impact assessment, academic writing, soft skills development, and climate research methods.
His work is driven by a commitment to evidence-based policy, inclusive governance, community empowerment, and sustainable development, with a particular focus on Bangladesh and the Global South.
Education
Dr. M. Rafiqul Islam holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Verona, Italy (2022), where he specialized in interdisciplinary research on development, governance, and environmental change. He completed an MSc in Water Governance (2017) at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, graduating with an excellent academic record. Prior to that, he earned an MBA in Banking (2012) from the University of Dhaka with distinction, and a BBA (Hons.) in Finance and Accounting (2008) from Leading University, achieving one of the highest results in his cohort.
Awards/Scholarship
2022: American Institute of Bangladesh Study Travel Grant
2019-2022: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
2016-2017: Dopper Foundation Change Maker Challenge, Runner’s Up
2016-2017: University of Twente Scholarship
2005-2007: Academic Excellence Scholarship, Leading University, Dhaka
Dissertation/Thesis/Report (Selected):
2022. PhD Dissertation, Does Rainwater Harvesting Contribute to Fight Climate Change and Women Empowerment in Bangladesh? Supervised by Professor Roberto Ricciuti (PhD), Department of Economics, Verona University, Verona, Italy
2019. Exploring the Relationship between Economic Development and Governance Performance in Asian Countries. Supervised by Professor Roberto Ricciuti (PhD), Department of Economics, Verona University, Verona, Italy
2019. Socioeconomic Aspect of Climate Change Impact on Marginalized People in Coastal Bangladesh. Supervised by Professor Orestis Troumpounis (PhD), Department of Economics and Management, University di Padova, Italy
2017. MSc Thesis. Reducing Water Poverty in Coastal Bangladesh: Is Rainwater Harvesting a Sustainable Solution? Supervised by Professor Joy. S. Clancy (PhD) and Nthabiseng Mohlakoana (PhD), University of Twente, the Netherlands
2017. Weerribben-Wieden Case Study Governance and Economic Perspectives for Resilience of Ecosystem Services in a Wetland Area. Case study report (in Water Governance Stream). Supervised by Dr. Kris Lulofs (PhD) and Maia Lordkipanidze (PhD.) , Twente University, the Netherlands
2016. Power Crisis and Potential Solutions for Bangladesh. Supervised by Professor Maarten Arensten (PhD), Twente University, the Netherlands
2016. Biodiversity and Renewable Energy in Bangladesh: A Contextual Analysis. Supervised by Goldsborough (PhD), University of Twente, the Netherlands
Publication
2023. Factors Influencing Economic Benefit of Rainwater Harvesting: An Empirical Analysis. AQUA-Water Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Society. 72 (1): 32–48. Impact Factor: 3.007. Index: Web of Science, Scopus, DOAJ. Available at: https://iwaponline.com/aqua/article/doi/10.2166/aqua.2022.040/92527/Factors-influencing-economic-benefit-of-rainwater
2022. Impact of climate-induced extreme events and demand supply gap on water resources in Bangladesh. Journal of Water and Climate Change. 13 (4): 1878–1899. Impact Factor: 2.803. Index: Scopus, DOAJ, SCIE, UGC CARE. Available here: https://iwaponline.com/jwcc/article/13/4/1878/87439/Impact-of-climate-induced-extreme-events-and
2021. The Adverse Impact of Ecosystem Degradation and Poor Governance on Marginalized People. North American Academic Research. Volume 4, Issue 3, 212-229. Impact Factor: 3.75. Index: Google Scholar, EuroPub. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4644052
2020. Water Access in Changing Climate in Bangladesh: A Study of Social Impact on Women Who Manage Household Water. Bandung Journal of Global South. 7. 107-129. Index: Web of Science, Scopus. Available here: https://brill.com/view/journals/bjgs/7/1/article-p107_107.xml?language=en
2019. Rainfall in Bangladesh: Is Rainwater Harvesting a Sustainable Approach for Governing Rainwater? European Journal of Sustainable Development. 8( 5):433-444. Index: Google Scholar, Index Copernicus International. Available here: https://ecsdev.org/ojs/index.php/ejsd/article/view/953
2019. Rainwater Harvesting for Fighting Climate-Induced Water Poverty Problem in Coastal Bangladesh. Archeology and Anthropology: Open Access. Volume 03, Issue 02. Index: Google Scholar, Web of Science. EuroPub. https://crimsonpublishers.com/aaoa/fulltext/AAOA.000577.php
2018. The Socio-Economic Impact of the Freshwater Crisis in Mongla, Bangladesh Brolly. Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 01, No. 02, 111-130. Index: Google Scholar, Index Copernicus International. https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/Brolly/article/view/67
2018. Rainwater Harvesting to Reduce Water and Economic Poverty in Coastal Bangladesh. Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science, 37, 39-59. Index: DOAJ. https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.37.3 with Hossen M A 2017. Connection among Water, Agriculture, and Human Rights and Its Concerns in Bangladesh. Archeology and Anthropology: Open Access. Volume 01, Issue 01. Google Scholar, Web of Science. EuroPub. Available at: https://crimsonpublishers.com/downloadPdf.php?folder=aaoa&file=AAOA.000504
Conferences and Seminars:
2023: Research to Action-Global Policy Seminar for a Contract (Bonn, Germany)
2022: ICCCAD, Independent University, Bangladesh
2021: XVII World Water Congress (Daegu, South Korea)
2021: European Researcher’s Night 2021 (Budapest, Hungary)
2019: 7th International Conference on Sustainable Development (Rome, Italy)
Book Chapter
- with Martha Cassidy-Neumiller, Nidhi Nagabhatla & Alix Debray, 2024. Cross-Border Water Management. In: Philippe De Lombaerde (ed.), Handbook of Regional Cooperation and Integration. , Chapter 17. Pages 372-396, Edward Elgar Publishing.
- with Hossen M A 2017. Ecological Integrity of the Brahmaputra Basin for Community Livelihoods in Bangladesh, In: Hussain, A. (eds.), Bangladesh’s Neighbours in Indian Northeast: Exploring Opportunities and Mutual Interest, Part III, Dhaka, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, p149-176
Reviewer
- GeoJournal
- AQUA-Water Infrastructure, Ecosystem, and Society
- Water Resources Management
- Journal of Water and Climate Change
- Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
- International Journal of Environment and Climate Change