Ph.D. Student – Awais Naeem Sarwar

Description of the Activities

Awais Naeem Sarwar’s research focuses on water resources management by designing and modeling Nature-based Solutions (NbS), especially in diverse and data-scarce environments. He investigates how hydrological modeling can optimize NbS like wetlands, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems under varying environmental and socio-economic conditions.

Key aspects include:

1. Hydrological Modeling for NbS: Developing and applying models to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS in mitigating flooding, improving water quality, and enhancing ecosystem services, while considering site-specific factors.

2. Enhancing the DREAM Model: Collaborating to improve the DREAM Model (Distributed Runoff, Evapotranspiration, and Antecedent Soil Moisture Model) for use in data-scarce regions like Southern Italy, integrating remote sensing, machine learning, and process-based modeling.

3. Integrating NbS into Planning: Exploring the combination of NbS and conventional engineering in urban and peri-urban areas, analyzing socio-economic and environmental benefits, and identifying implementation challenges.

The research provides actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing context-specific solutions that balance environmental, institutional, and socio-economic needs. It highlights the potential of NbS to address water management challenges sustainably and effectively.

Publications

Sarwar, A.N., C. Caramiello, F. Pugliese, S. Jomaa, A. Guelmami, M. Ronse, P.P. Roggero, N. Marrone, F. De Paola, I. Daloglu Cetinkaya, N.K. Copty, M. Rode, and S. Manfreda, A Framework for Selecting Nature-Based Solutions: Applications and Challenges at the Catchment Scale. Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 394, 2025, 127220, ISSN 0301-4797. [pdf]

Caramiello, C., Sarwar, A. N., & Manfreda, S. (2024). OurMED D5.1 Report on Most Suitable NbS at Each Demo for Proper Water Management. Version 1.1 (1.1). Zenodo. [pdf]

Caramiello, C., Pugliese, F., Sarwar, A. N., Jomaa, S., & Manfreda, S. (2025). OurMED D5.2 Report on Benefits and Co-Benefits of NbS. Version 1.2 (1.2). Zenodo. [pdf]

Cammalleri, C., A. N. Sarwar, A. Avino, G. Nikravesh, B. Bonaccorso, G. Mendicino, A. Senatore, S. Manfreda, Testing trends in gridded rainfall datasets at relevant hydrological scales: A comparative study with regional ground observations in Southern Italy, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, Volume 55, October 2024, 101950, 2024. [pdf]

Conference Presentations (Abstracts)

Pacia, F. D., Perrini, P., Avino, A., Sarwar, A. N., Jahanshahi, A., Coccaro, P., Giuzio, L., Corbelli, V., Fiorentino, M., Iacobellis, V., and Manfreda, S.: Water Availability Assessment in a Data-Scarce Region: Application to the District of Southern Italy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9153. [pdf]

Chatelier, F., Naeem Sarwar, A., Manfreda, S., and Jomaa, S.: A holistic framework for scaling-up Nature-based Solutions: From local context to evaluation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18744. [pdf]

Sarwar, A.N., Caramiello, C., Pugliese, F., Marrone, N., Roggero, P.P., Guelmami, A., Cetinkaya, I.D., De Paola, F., Copty, N.K., Jomaa, S. and Manfreda, S., 2024, December. Integrating Ecosystem and Geomorphology Insights with Stakeholder Perspectives for Nature-Based Solutions. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2024, No. 216, pp. GC51S-0216). [pdf]

Noto, L.V., Gianni, L., Avino, A., Pacia, D., Manfreda, S., Afshin, J. and Sarwar, A.N., 2024. Integrating Climatic, Ecohydrological, and Biogeochemical Models to Forecast CO2 Capture Potential through Enhanced Weathering in Southern Italy. AGU24. [pdf]

Messina, M., Manfreda, S., Avino, A., Pizzolla, T., and Naeem Sarwar, A.: Reconstruction of annual flood series in Southern Italy, A European vision for hydrological observations and experimentation, Naples, Italy, 12–15 Jun 2023, GC8-Hydro-110. [pdf]