Roustaei Hossein Abadi, Mahya

Mahya Roustaei, university professor and Director of the UGent Geotechnical Institute (UGGI), brings her expertise in geotechnical challenges driven by climate change. Her work at UNU-CRIS will focus on the intersection of climate-induced hydrological shifts and soil dynamics, particularly in regions vulnerable to rapid urban expansion and environmental stress.

Within the Nature, Climate and Health Cluster, Mahya will collaborate closely with Nidhi Nagabhatla to examine how warming trajectories and changing soil water regimes impact resilience of urban infrastructure. This research is especially relevant for regions facing accelerated development or climate-related disruptions, where governance frameworks must adapt to emerging geotechnical risks. Her approach emphasises the integration of geoscience into policy and planning, ensuring that soil responses to climate stressors are embedded in risk assessments, urban design, and infrastructure governance. Drawing on her extensive experience in Canada, Mahya brings insights into both technical and community-driven adaptation strategies, including those relevant to northern and Indigenous communities affected by thawing permafrost and shifting landscapes. Through living lab initiatives, she will help bridge science and policy by working directly with communities, researchers, and decision-makers to co-develop and test adaptation strategies. Her fellowship supports UNU-CRIS’s mission to strengthen regional governance capacity and promote evidence-based decision-making in areas most impacted by climate change.