Department of Geography

Dr. Sahar Zia

Dr. Sahar Zia
Dr. Sahar Zia

Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contact # 042-99203801- Ext:291

                                  

Experience     

  • Lahore College for Women University, as Senior Researcher at Electrical Engineering Dept., LCWU (15th Feb 2023)

  • Lahore College for Women University, as Assistant Professor at Geography Dept. (7th July 2022 to present) 

  • Lahore College for Women University, as Lecturer at Geography Dept. (8thJune 2015 to 6th July 2022) 

  • Lahore College for Women University, as Senior Manager (Research Management Wing) at Office of research, innovation and commercialization (15thJune 2021 to 10th March 2021) 

  • Lahore College for Women University, as In-charge at Geography Dept. (10thFeb 2018 to 20th December, 2020) 

  • University of the Punjab, as Visiting Lecturer at Geography Dept. (23rdOctober 2014 to May 2015)

  • Lahore College for Women University, as Visiting Lecturer at Geography Dept. (11thApril2014 to 23rdJune 2014) 

  • Lahore College for Women University, as visiting Teaching Assistant at Geography Dept (10th Oct 2013 to 9th April,2014)

  • Sophian College of Arts and Sciences, as Lecturer for Pakistan studies (August 2013 to Oct 2013) 

  • Adabistan-e-Soophia, as a subject specialist for O-level (Sep 2012 to Oct 2013)

  • Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department of the Govt. of Punjab, Lahore as an Intern (July 2011 to Aug 2011)

Honor and Awards

  • M.Phil Geography (2011-2013) Roll of Honor with 3.78 CGPA
  • BS Geography (2007-2011) Roll of Honor with 3.79 CGPA
  • Punjab university Merit scholarships 2007-2011

Memberships

  • Global Soil Partnership Member, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 

Graduate Students/Postdocs/Undergraduate Students/Honour Students

Years             Degree                      Name

2016                BS Geography            Summaya Farooq

2016                BS Geography            Mahnoor Maqsood

2017                BS Geography            Khadija Aslam

2017                BS Geography            AneelaBoota

2018                BS Geography            Hajra Nisar

2018                BS Geography            Mishal Mehboob

2019                BS Geography            Mahrukh Tahir

2019                BS Geography            Zarish Abid

2020                BS Geography            Muntaha Mohsin

2021                BS Geography            Nikhat Zahra Butt

2021                BS Geography            Asia Yousaf

2021                BS Geography            Saba Shafique

2022                BS Geography            Alina Ashraf

2022                BS Geography            Aasma Ashraf

Service Activity

Team leader of SAR 
Member of Purchase committee 
Web Coordinator
  • Keeping update official LCWU webpage of Geography department (Biannual)
  • Timetable
  • Faculty profiles
  • Society events 
Focal person to update Newsletter, LCWU
  • Keeping record of all events
  • Biannual coordination with editor Shagufta Mughal, newsletter LCWU 
Academic planning committee focal person for curriculum and workload documentation (biannual)
  • Preparation of semester courses
  • Allocation of courses, directed by chairperson
  • Workload justification
  • Coordination with QEC and Registrar office
  • Visiting faculty requirement assessment
  • Provision of course outlines and weekly plan
Timetable Manager
  • Coordination with faculty members inter and outside department for timetable management without clash
  • Timetable preparation before semester start
  • Changes on request during semester (on demand) and update
  • Timetable update on webpage and Facebook page (biannual)
Society Incharge
  • Develop linkages within and outside universities nationally/ internationally
  • Management and execution of events (monthly)
    • Selection of event themes
    • Seeking right resource persons and guest speakers for enhancement of Geographical knowledge
    • Contact with resource persons and guest speakers for their availability
    • Permission from VC office via Dean
    • Inform to security cell, estate officer prior to event conduction
    • Refreshment arrangement with the help of Mess Incharge
    • Arrangement of souvenirs/ shields/ bouquet or other necessary tokens from Geography society, LCWU to guests
    • Arrangement of certificates of appreciations
    • News updating to Mr. Naveed, Mass communication department.
  • Keeping updated Facebook page with Ms. Amna Afzal
  • Alumni and graduate student’s information record with Ms. Rehana Mehar Ali
  • Funding sources either faculty or students

Brief Statement of Research Interest

My area of interest is to use geographic information technology for the analysis, management, planning, and inhabitation in cities. My main research interests are in:
 
Urban studies: Key solutions of Urban Flooding, development of existing and new Urban settlements, Population migration, delineation of urban land use patterns, Urban growths and future prospects, Urban pollutions, Migration and expansion of cities, Slums, groundwater analysis for availability of drinkable water, potential settings of city, eco-friendly solutions of citizen’s demand and supply of basic utilities i.e electricity and gas load shedding in cities
 
Healthcare/Medicare studies: Heat stroke under the changing climate, communicable and non-communicable disease outbreak in urban settings
 
Food security : Analysis of Production, Demand and supply of food crops in terms of social and economic perspective in Pakistan under changing climate

Publications

Published book chapter:

  • Chapter entitled “Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy”, by Nausheen Mazhar and Sahar Zia, in book “Sustainable Energy and Environment: An Earth System Approach”, by Apple Academic Press, Coming in Sep 2019.

Short communication published by referred journals

  • Zia, S, S. Yaqoob , M. Nasar-u-Minallah, A. Hanif , A. Aslam. 2021. Analysis between Vegetation and Traffic Noise Pollution: A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan 2021. International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology, Vol. 12 (3) 65-70.

Articles published by refereed journals:

  • Nasar-u-Minallah, M., Haase, D., Qureshi, S., Zia, S. & Fatima, M. Ecological monitoring of urban thermal field variance index and determining the surface urban heat island effects in Lahore, Pakistan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 195, 1212, doi:10.1007/s10661-023-11799-1 (2023). IF: 3.1 W category- HEC recognized
  • Hanif A., Shirazi S.A., Jabbar M., Liaqat A., Zia S., Yusoff M.M. Evaluating The Visitors’ Perception And Available Ecosystem Services In Urban Parks Of Lahore (Pakistan) Research Paper. Geography, Environment, Sustainability.;15(4):32-38. (2022). Y category- HEC recognized
  • Zia, S., Nasar-u-Minallah, M., Zahra, N. & Hanif, A. The Effect Of Urban Green Spaces In Reducing Urban Flooding In Lahore, Pakistan, Using Geospatial Techniques. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY 15, 47-55 (2022). (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Saba Shafique , Sahar Zia , Muhammad Nasar-u-Minallah. Mapping and Analyzing Coastal Morphological Changes due to Rising Sea Level: A Case Study of Karachi Port, Pakistan. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part A Physical and Computational Sciences 59(2): 81-88 (2022). Y category
  • Zia, Sahar; Mohsin, Muntaha; Nasar-u-Minallah, Muhammad; Hanif, Aysha. Site Suitability Analysis for Urban Settlements along River Jhelum, Pakistan using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques. Indonesian Journal of Geography, 54(2), 223 – 239 (2022). (X category- HEC recognized)
  • Hanif, A., Nasar-u-Minallah, M., Zia, S., & Ashraf, I. (2022). Mapping and Analyzing the Park Cooling Intensity in Mitigation of Urban Heat Island Effect in Lahore, Pakistan. Korean Journal of Remote Sensing, 38(1), 127-137. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia, S., Nasar-u-Minallah, M., Tahir, M., & Hanif, A. (2021). Impact Assessment of Urban Built-up Area on Groundwater Level of District Faisalabad, Pakistan. International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology, 12(4), 32-37. Date of Publication: 2022-01-14 Doi: https://doi.org/10.46660/ijeeg.Vol12.Iss4.2021.640 . (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Nasar-u-Minallah, M., Zia, S., Rahman, A.-u., & Riaz, O. (2021). Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Urban Expansion And Future Growth Patterns Of Lahore, Pakistan. Geography, Environment, Sustainability, 14(3), 41-53. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia, S., S. A. Shirazi, M. Nasar-u-Minallah (2021). Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Floods in Lahore, Pakistan using GIS based integrated Analytical Hierarchy Approach. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: A: Physical and Computational Sciences 58(1): 85-96. Date of Publication: 2021-09-03. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia, S., S. A. Shirazi, M. Nasar-u-Minallah, and M. Batool. 2021. Urban Floods and Suitability Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Potential Areas in Lahore City, Pakistan. International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology, 12(2), 13-20. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia, S., & Shirazi, S. A. (2019). Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Areas Vulnerable to Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan. International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology, 10(3), 85-89. Y category
  • Abid, Z., & Zia, S. Mapping And Analysis of Baltoro Glacier And Shigar River. Pakistan Geographical Review. Vol. 74 (1), pp. 20-32. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Mazhar N., Mirza Ali., Zia S., Butt Z., Shahid M., and Mirza Ali (2018). “An Analysis of Glacial Retreat and Resultant Vegetation Expansion in the Karakorum: A case study of Passu Glacier in Hunza valley”. Biologia (Pakistan), Vol. 64 (1), pp. 135-145. (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia S., Shirazi S.A, Bhalli M. N and S. Kausar (2015) “The Impact of Urbanization on Mean Annual Temperature of Lahore Metropolitan Area, Pakistan”. Pakistan Journal of Science, Vol. 67 No. 3 Sept.., 2015 pp.301-307. Lahore (Y category- HEC recognized)
  • Zia S., Shirazi S.A., M. N. Bhalli and Alam R (2014). Temporal analysis of temperature trends in the metropolitan area of Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan journal of science, 66 (1), 83-87.  (Y category-HEC recognized)

Research Grants and Contracts

On-going Projects

  • Researcher on DepWiSeN ( Pak-UK Innovative and Collaborative Research Grant (ICRG) call and is funded by British Council and Higher Education Commission Pakistan) , this project aimed at devising novel solutions to combat the deforestation and climate change through wireless sensor networks. My role is to work in geoinformatics domain. The project is on going with collaboration of engineers and scientists from leading institutions of Pakistan and the United Kingdom https://depwisen.org/people.html 

Applied

A project entitled “Assessment of urban enchroachment on farmland: A study for site selection of vertical development in District Lahore” as Co-PI was submitted to Research for social Transformation and advancement of RASTA competitive grant program for policy-oriented research in June, 2022.

Other Research or Creative Accomplishments

Since 2016 to till now, I have supervised many undergraduate students for carrying out their research.
Research productivity award 2021 as Senior Manager at Research Wing, ORIC, LCWU
Selected Professional Presentations
  • Comparison and analysis of Health Index in Pakistan and Turkiye presented in 1st International PakTurk Symposium on “Historical And Geographical Linkages Between Turkey And Pakistan: Past, Present and Future Prospects”, held virtually 2-4 June 2022
  • Risk Assessment of Heat Stress in Pakistan presented in 17th International Geographical Conference on “Impact of Climate Change on Water and Agricultural Sustainability”. held at Baragali Summer Campus, University of Peshawar during May 23, 2022. May 26, 2022.
  • Monsoon Rainfall Variability and Its Effect on Urban Flooding: A Case Study of Central Lahore presented on: 16th All Geographical Conference of Pakistan” held at University of Punjab during 11-13th March 2021
  • Application of high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to detect urban flooded areas of Lahore city” presented on: “International Conference on “Global Environmental Change and the Role of Geographers” held at Baragali Summer Campus, University of Peshawar during July 25-27, 2017
  • “Causes and consequences of urban flooding in Lahore: A study to evolve mitigation strategy” presented in a seminar held at CIMR, PU Lahore on 21st January, 2018.