Dr. Hamdi A. Zurqani is one of the faculty members at the Department of
Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli,
Tripoli, Libya. Dr. Zurqani is a recognized expert as a result of his internationally acclaimed work in the areas of environmental information science, remote sensing, land evaluation, sustainability, pedology, and soil
science education. He has conducted research across the world, including
the United States of America and Africa. Dr. Zurqani is a distinguished soil
scientist with a wide range of scientific and working experiences in Libya
and abroad. He received his M.Sc. (2010) from the University of Tripoli,
Tripoli, Libya and Ph.D. (2019) from Clemson University, Clemson, SC,
USA. His major research and teaching activities at the University of Tripoli
have focused mainly on soil genesis and classification and the environmental information sciences (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information
System). He has published broadly in many journals (e.g., Nature “Scientific
Reports”, Geoderma; International Journal of Applied Earth Observation
and Geoinformation; Journal of Geological Sciences; Land; Frontiers in
Environmental Science; Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis; and others). Dr. Zurqani is a member of the Editorial Board for Remote
Sensing (MDPI) Journal, counseling outcome and research evaluation. He
also was appointed to serve as a Guest Editor for the Special Issue
“Applications of Remote Sensing in Earth Observation and Geo-Information
Science”. In addition, Dr. Zurqani conducted peer-review for many journals
including Journal of Environmental Informatics, Applied Sciences, SN
Applied Sciences, Remote Sensing, Heliyon, Geosciences, Land, Water,
Agronomy, Agriculture, Sustainability, Arid Land Research and Management, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
Natural Hazards, and Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences. He
is also one of the authors of the lab manual entitled, “GIS Exercises for
Natural Resource Management”. Dr. Zurqani has been the recipient of
numerous awards and honors: Recipient of Douglas R. Phillips Award for
Graduate Students, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, April 12, 2019; the First Place Best Judged Poster
(CAFLS) at the GRADS 2019: Clemson Student Research Forum on April
4, 2019; the Second Place Poster at the 11th Clemson Biological Sciences
Annual Student Symposium, April 6, 2019; the Second Place Best Judged
Poster at the Clemson Student Research Forum on April 4, 2018; and the
Third Place Poster at the 9th Clemson Biological Sciences Annual Student
Symposium, February 25, 2017. Dr. Zurqani conducts cutting-edge research
in the field of environmental information science, remote sensing, land use
management/planning, change detection of landscape degradation, and
geographic information system (GIS) models. He has focused on his
research efforts on the development of new technologies in the field of
environmental information sciences, geo-intelligence (advanced
geo-information science and earth observation, machine and deep learning,
and big data analytics), remote sensing, land evaluation, pedology, land use
management/planning, monitoring and evaluating sustainable land management, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic
information system models.
Dr. Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud is a senior professor of soil pedology. He is
a distinguished soil scientist with wide range of scientific and working
experiences in Libya and abroad. He received his Ph.D. in 1977 from
Colorado State University (USA). His major teaching activities and research
are at the Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Tripoli, Libya. He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students
in Libya and has supervised many M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation in
Libya and abroad. He focused mainly on soil resources, land evaluation, and
mapping. He contributes to soil science in Libya and abroad as the Head of
the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1978–1983), Dean of the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1983–1986), Chairman of
the Committee for Libyan Agricultural Mapping, Tripoli, Libya (1988–
1990). A Research Coordinator, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1997–
2001), Member of the Scientific Council of Agricultural Research Center
(ARC), Tripoli, Libya (2000–2002), Member of the Scientific Council of the
College of Higher Studies at the University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (2000–
2002), Member of the Scientific Committee of Libya Centre for Remote
Sensing and Space Sciences, Tripoli, Libya (1998–2006), A National
Coordinator of the Project implemented by FAO: Mapping of Natural
Resources for Agricultural Use and Planning Tripoli, Libya (2000–2006), A
General Coordinator of the National Programme for the Development of
Vegetation Cover, Tripoli, Libya (2004–2006). Director of the Division of
Land and Water Uses, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands
(ACSAD), The League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Head
of the Programme: Monitoring and Combating of Desertification in the Arab
World, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands (ACSAD), The
League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Director General of
Eddayra Co. (Agricultural and Environmental Consulting and Services),
Tripoli, Libya (2011–to date). Engaged as a local and international expert to
control, evaluate, approve, and accept of many soils studies and mapping
which have been implemented by different foreign and local companies,
agencies, and offices in different parts of Libya and abroad (1977–to date).
More than 100 country reports, research and scientific papers, and other
publications were published in different local and international scientific
journals and symposiums (in Arabic and English). He is the author of more
than 10 books that have been written in Arabic. The most important ones
are: Sandy soils of Libya (1981), The study of soils in the field (1984),
Principles of Soil Science for Agricultural Secondary and Technical Schools
(1985), Fundamentals of Soil Science and its Relation to Plant Growth
(1995), Libyan Soils (Their Genesis, Classification, Properties, and Agricultural Potentiality (1995), Fundamentals of Soil and water Science (2001),
Issues on Desertification and Land Degradation in the Arab Region (2010),
Towards a National Strategy for the Sustainability of Natural Resources and
Enhancing Food Security in Libya (2013), and The Libyan Desert (its
natural potentials and prospects for investment) in press. Finally, he was
appointed as a technical advisor to the President of the Libyan Presidential
Council for Agriculture, Tripoli, Libya (2018–to date).
Dr. Azzeddin R. Elhawej is a professional soil scientist with a wide range
of scientific and practical experiences in Libya and Africa. He holds master’s degree in science (1974) from Arizona State University, Tucson,
Arizona, USA, and a Ph.D. (1980) from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. His main research and teaching activities at
University of Tripoli focused on soil genesis and classification, clay mineralogy, and soil mapping. He has contributed to the advancement of soil
science in Libya as Head of the Department of Soil and Water Sciences for
four years, from 1983 to 1987 and as a board member of the mapping of
agricultural resources directed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He also served as an agricultural technical consultant to
the Libyan African investment holding company. Dr. Azzeddin traveled to
many countries in Africa on technical missions and to expose the soil and
water resources in the African continent. He has contributed to education
and research at the University of Tripoli through teaching research as one of
the staff members at the Department of Soil and Water Sciences. He has
been teaching graduate students since 1980 and supervised many theses and
dissertations. Dr. Azzeddin has published several books, among which are
Soil Survey, Classification and Land Evaluation (2015), Clay Minerals in
Soil (2012), and Soil Profile Description in the Field (2009). Dr. Azzeddin
helped to correlate the Russian soil classes to the American soil classification of Libyan soils. He also served as chairman of the technical team for
surveying and classifying Libyan soils from 1980 to the present. As one of
the technical team members, Dr. Azzeddin helped to prepare the soil map of
Libya with a scale of 1:1 M (2005).
64
M. M. Elaalem et al.
Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli,
Tripoli, Libya. Dr. Zurqani is a recognized expert as a result of his internationally acclaimed work in the areas of environmental information science, remote sensing, land evaluation, sustainability, pedology, and soil
science education. He has conducted research across the world, including
the United States of America and Africa. Dr. Zurqani is a distinguished soil
scientist with a wide range of scientific and working experiences in Libya
and abroad. He received his M.Sc. (2010) from the University of Tripoli,
Tripoli, Libya and Ph.D. (2019) from Clemson University, Clemson, SC,
USA. His major research and teaching activities at the University of Tripoli
have focused mainly on soil genesis and classification and the environmental information sciences (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information
System). He has published broadly in many journals (e.g., Nature “Scientific
Reports”, Geoderma; International Journal of Applied Earth Observation
and Geoinformation; Journal of Geological Sciences; Land; Frontiers in
Environmental Science; Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis; and others). Dr. Zurqani is a member of the Editorial Board for Remote
Sensing (MDPI) Journal, counseling outcome and research evaluation. He
also was appointed to serve as a Guest Editor for the Special Issue
“Applications of Remote Sensing in Earth Observation and Geo-Information
Science”. In addition, Dr. Zurqani conducted peer-review for many journals
including Journal of Environmental Informatics, Applied Sciences, SN
Applied Sciences, Remote Sensing, Heliyon, Geosciences, Land, Water,
Agronomy, Agriculture, Sustainability, Arid Land Research and Management, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
Natural Hazards, and Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences. He
is also one of the authors of the lab manual entitled, “GIS Exercises for
Natural Resource Management”. Dr. Zurqani has been the recipient of
numerous awards and honors: Recipient of Douglas R. Phillips Award for
Graduate Students, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, April 12, 2019; the First Place Best Judged Poster
(CAFLS) at the GRADS 2019: Clemson Student Research Forum on April
4, 2019; the Second Place Poster at the 11th Clemson Biological Sciences
Annual Student Symposium, April 6, 2019; the Second Place Best Judged
Poster at the Clemson Student Research Forum on April 4, 2018; and the
Third Place Poster at the 9th Clemson Biological Sciences Annual Student
Symposium, February 25, 2017. Dr. Zurqani conducts cutting-edge research
in the field of environmental information science, remote sensing, land use
management/planning, change detection of landscape degradation, and
geographic information system (GIS) models. He has focused on his
research efforts on the development of new technologies in the field of
environmental information sciences, geo-intelligence (advanced
geo-information science and earth observation, machine and deep learning,
and big data analytics), remote sensing, land evaluation, pedology, land use
management/planning, monitoring and evaluating sustainable land management, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic
information system models.
Dr. Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud is a senior professor of soil pedology. He is
a distinguished soil scientist with wide range of scientific and working
experiences in Libya and abroad. He received his Ph.D. in 1977 from
Colorado State University (USA). His major teaching activities and research
are at the Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Tripoli, Libya. He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students
in Libya and has supervised many M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation in
Libya and abroad. He focused mainly on soil resources, land evaluation, and
mapping. He contributes to soil science in Libya and abroad as the Head of
the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1978–1983), Dean of the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1983–1986), Chairman of
the Committee for Libyan Agricultural Mapping, Tripoli, Libya (1988–
1990). A Research Coordinator, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1997–
2001), Member of the Scientific Council of Agricultural Research Center
(ARC), Tripoli, Libya (2000–2002), Member of the Scientific Council of the
College of Higher Studies at the University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (2000–
2002), Member of the Scientific Committee of Libya Centre for Remote
Sensing and Space Sciences, Tripoli, Libya (1998–2006), A National
Coordinator of the Project implemented by FAO: Mapping of Natural
Resources for Agricultural Use and Planning Tripoli, Libya (2000–2006), A
General Coordinator of the National Programme for the Development of
Vegetation Cover, Tripoli, Libya (2004–2006). Director of the Division of
Land and Water Uses, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands
(ACSAD), The League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Head
of the Programme: Monitoring and Combating of Desertification in the Arab
World, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands (ACSAD), The
League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Director General of
Eddayra Co. (Agricultural and Environmental Consulting and Services),
Tripoli, Libya (2011–to date). Engaged as a local and international expert to
control, evaluate, approve, and accept of many soils studies and mapping
which have been implemented by different foreign and local companies,
agencies, and offices in different parts of Libya and abroad (1977–to date).
More than 100 country reports, research and scientific papers, and other
publications were published in different local and international scientific
journals and symposiums (in Arabic and English). He is the author of more
than 10 books that have been written in Arabic. The most important ones
are: Sandy soils of Libya (1981), The study of soils in the field (1984),
Principles of Soil Science for Agricultural Secondary and Technical Schools
(1985), Fundamentals of Soil Science and its Relation to Plant Growth
(1995), Libyan Soils (Their Genesis, Classification, Properties, and Agricultural Potentiality (1995), Fundamentals of Soil and water Science (2001),
Issues on Desertification and Land Degradation in the Arab Region (2010),
Towards a National Strategy for the Sustainability of Natural Resources and
Enhancing Food Security in Libya (2013), and The Libyan Desert (its
natural potentials and prospects for investment) in press. Finally, he was
appointed as a technical advisor to the President of the Libyan Presidential
Council for Agriculture, Tripoli, Libya (2018–to date).
Dr. Azzeddin R. Elhawej is a professional soil scientist with a wide range
of scientific and practical experiences in Libya and Africa. He holds master’s degree in science (1974) from Arizona State University, Tucson,
Arizona, USA, and a Ph.D. (1980) from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. His main research and teaching activities at
University of Tripoli focused on soil genesis and classification, clay mineralogy, and soil mapping. He has contributed to the advancement of soil
science in Libya as Head of the Department of Soil and Water Sciences for
four years, from 1983 to 1987 and as a board member of the mapping of
agricultural resources directed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He also served as an agricultural technical consultant to
the Libyan African investment holding company. Dr. Azzeddin traveled to
many countries in Africa on technical missions and to expose the soil and
water resources in the African continent. He has contributed to education
and research at the University of Tripoli through teaching research as one of
the staff members at the Department of Soil and Water Sciences. He has
been teaching graduate students since 1980 and supervised many theses and
dissertations. Dr. Azzeddin has published several books, among which are
Soil Survey, Classification and Land Evaluation (2015), Clay Minerals in
Soil (2012), and Soil Profile Description in the Field (2009). Dr. Azzeddin
helped to correlate the Russian soil classes to the American soil classification of Libyan soils. He also served as chairman of the technical team for
surveying and classifying Libyan soils from 1980 to the present. As one of
the technical team members, Dr. Azzeddin helped to prepare the soil map of
Libya with a scale of 1:1 M (2005).
64
M. M. Elaalem et al.