Charlottetown, PE, Canada
+1 (902) 233-4442
Bio
I am a researcher specializing in geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI), remote sensing, and environmental hazard assessment. My research integrates Earth observation, machine learning, and spatial modeling to investigate natural hazards, environmental change, and climate-related risks. I am particularly interested in developing data-driven and interpretable modeling approaches to support environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience.
I am currently a Canada Impact+ Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), where I work under the supervision of Dr. Sara Sadri, Canada Research Chair in Remote Sensing and Water Security, as a member of the HydroTerra Lab. My current research focuses on applying Earth observation, artificial intelligence, and environmental data science to advance drought monitoring, water security, and climate resilience.
Before joining UPEI, I was a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) in Italy, where I contributed to international research on landslide susceptibility mapping and cross-border natural hazard assessment. Previously, I served as an Assistant Professor of Physical Geography at Tartous University, where I was involved in teaching, research, and graduate student supervision
Editor-in-Chief of DYSONA – Applied Science
Research Interests
- Climate Change and Environmental Resilience
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development
- Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI)
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Analysis
- Remote Sensing and Earth Observation
- Natural Hazards and Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment
Current and Previous Research Projects
CONCORDIA — Cooperative Network for Coordinated Disaster Impact Assessment. Interreg Italy–Slovenia (2025–2026) | OGS, Italy | Research Fellow
Contributed to the development of harmonized cross-border landslide susceptibility maps for Italy and Slovenia through the integration of geospatial datasets and explainable GeoAI. The research supports consistent natural hazard assessment and coordinated disaster risk management across national borders.
Selected Publications
- Abdo, H. G., Richi, S. M., Hang, H. T., Albanai, J. A., & Mallick, J. (2026). Enhancing predictive modeling of interrill and rill erosion susceptibility in the Eastern Mediterranean using stacking ensemble machine learning algorithms. Soil and Tillage Research, 258, 107053.
- Abdo, H. G., Richi, S. M., Paramanik, S., Ali, T., Chakrabortty, R., Hang, H. T., & Mallick, J. (2026). Bagging and Boosting Ensemble Machine Learning-based Groundwater Potential Mapping in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Case Study of the Al-Hussain River Basin. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 104787.
- Sifi, S., Zaghdoudi, S., Abdo, H. G., & Aydi, A. (2026). Sensitivity analysis of multiple groundwater vulnerability models for enhancing resource management in the Menzel Bourguiba aquifer system, northern Tunisa. Hydrogeology Journal, 34(4), 1111-1144.
- Abdo, H. G., Richi, S. M., Alqadhi, S., Prasad, P., Katipoğlu, O. M., Nguyen-Huy, T., … & Mallick, J. (2026). Advancing Forest Fire Susceptibility Mapping in the Eastern Mediterranean Using Multi-Algorithm Machine Learning. Fire Technology, 62(5), 103.
- Abdo, H. G., Richi, S. M., Bindajam, A. A., Zerouali, B., Katipoğlu, O. M., Prasad, P., … & Ghribi, M. (2025). Machine learning-driven flood susceptibility mapping: comparing model performances and feature influences in a coastal watershed of the Eastern mediterranean. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 29(6), 59.
- Abdo, H. G., Richi, S. M., Prasad, P., Katipoğlu, O. M., Halder, B., Niknam, A., … & Mallick, J. (2025). Mapping landslide susceptibility in the Eastern Mediterranean mountainous region: a machine learning perspective. Environmental Earth Sciences, 84(9), 250.
- Hang, H. T., Mallick, J., Alqadhi, S., Bindajam, A. A., & Abdo, H. G. (2024). Exploring forest fire susceptibility and management strategies in Western Himalaya: Integrating ensemble machine learning and explainable AI for accurate prediction and comprehensive analysis. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 35, 103655.
- Ait Naceur, H., Abdo, H. G., Igmoullan, B., Namous, M., Alshehri, F., & A Albanai, J. (2024). Implementation of random forest, adaptive boosting, and gradient boosting decision trees algorithms for gully erosion susceptibility mapping using remote sensing and GIS. Environmental Earth Sciences, 83(3), 121.
- Alsafadi, K., Bi, S., Abdo, H. G., Almohamad, H., Alatrach, B., Srivastava, A. K., … & Mohammed, S. (2023). Modeling the impacts of projected climate change on wheat crop suitability in semi-arid regions using the AHP-based weighted climatic suitability index and CMIP6. Geoscience Letters, 10(1), 20.
- Abdo, H. G. (2022). Assessment of landslide susceptibility zonation using frequency ratio and statistical index: a case study of Al-Fawar basin, Tartous, Syria. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19(4), 2599-2618.
- Mohammed, S., Hassan, E., Abdo, H. G., Szabo, S., Mokhtar, A., Alsafadi, K., … & Rodrigo‐Comino, J. (2021). Impacts of rainstorms on soil erosion and organic matter for different cover crop systems in the western coast agricultural region of Syria. Soil Use and Management, 37(1), 196-213.
Academic & Research Experience
- Canada Impact+ Postdoctoral Research Fellow — University of Prince Edward Island, Canada (Present).
- Research Fellow — National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Italy.
- Assistant Professor of Physical Geography — Department of Geography, Tartous University, Syria.
Engaged in undergraduate teaching and graduate research supervision in Physical Geography and Geomorphology. Supervised five graduate students (four Master’s and one Ph.D.), including one who successfully defended her Master’s thesis. The research resulted in a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of King Saud University – Science (2024), a Q1-ranked journal, focusing on machine learning applications for landslide susceptibility assessment in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Education Profile
- Ph.D. in Physical Geography, Damascus University, Syria
- M.Sc. in Physical Geography, Lattakia University, Syria
- B.Sc. in Geography, Lattakia University, Syria