School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty Irfan Ahmad Rana

Irfan Ahmad Rana

Associate Professor
Summary

Dr. Irfan Ahmad Rana is the current Head of the Department and Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. He is a professional urban planner with over 13 years of experience. He has a Ph.D. in Regional and Rural Development Planning from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, Thailand). He is a registered member of the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP) and the Institute of Planners, Pakistan (IPP). He is also affiliated as a Young Scientist with Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). His research experience spans the fields of disaster and climate change resilience, and I have worked in diverse and multicultural international settings. My research aims to understand climate risks and vulnerabilities in urban and rural areas, focusing on themes such as urban resilience, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, climate justice, and heat/flood risk management. Specifically, I have conducted research on the multifaceted nature of climate risks, vulnerabilities, and resilience; the role of climate risk perceptions in preparedness and adaptation planning; and the use of quantitative and artificial intelligence methods to assess exposure, capacities, and inequalities for enhanced adaptation planning and urban resilience. His future research interests include the following: i) disaster and climate change resilience, ii) adaptation planning, and iii) data-driven urban and environmental management. These themes encompass but are not limited to, topics such as risk, vulnerability and resilience, climate action, local climate zones, environmental and climate justice, nature-based solutions, urban growth modeling and spatiotemporal analyses, human-environment interactions, artificial intelligence, and statistical-based methods for urban planning and environmental management.

Academic Background
PhD (Disaster Risk Reduction And Climate Change Adaptation) Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand May 24, 2014 - July 31, 2017
Honours and Awards
Overseas Scholarship Prog Higher Education Overseas Scholarship Award for Ms Leading PhD. July 03, 2017
University Best Researcher Awards- 2021 December 26, 2022
Publications
Role of Unauthorized Informal Institutions in Urban Water Governance: The Case of Faisalabad, Pakistan January 01, 2026 Society and Natural Resources - Pages 22
Understanding urban flood risk perception and its determinants across diverse hazard sources October 15, 2025 Urban Water Journal - Pages 1-22
Looking back to move forward: a meta-review of climate change research October 01, 2025 Natural Hazards - Volume: 121, Pages:19507-19526,
A holistic approach for assesssing multidimensional adaptive capacity to floods: From conceptualization to empirical assessment October 01, 2025 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume:128, Article Number 105729
Quantifying urban adaptation planning in flood-prone communities of Islamabad, Pakistan: An index-based approach October 01, 2025 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 128, Article Number 105762
Investigating the adaptation strategies and constraints in flood risk reduction of urban communities of Islamabad, Pakistan August 08, 2025 Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Volume:30, Issue:6, Article Number 51
Prerequisites for the adoption of nature-based solutions in local communities using the NbS Assessment Tool (NAT): A case study of Lahore, Pakistan August 01, 2025 Environmental Impact Assessment Review - Volume:115, Article Number 108066
A meta-review of disaster research May 07, 2025 Natural Hazards - Pages 1-34
Exploring needs, choices, and preferences of homebuyers in Islamabad, Pakistan November 24, 2024 Journal of Property Research - Pages:19
Multi-Phase Residential Fire Vulnerability Assessment November 15, 2024 Fire Technology - Pages 1-31
A systematic review of urban terrorism literature: Root causes, thematic trends, and future directions September 01, 2024 Journal of Safety Science and Resilience - Volume 5, Issue 3 , Pages 249-265
Adaptation planning for climate change: An application of the advanced bibliometric analytical framework September 01, 2024 Natural Hazards Research - Volume 4, Issue 3, Pages 459-469
Assessing smog risk perception in Lahore metropolitan: A survey-based analysis July 31, 2024 Urban Climate - Volume 56, Article Number 102080
Assessing the vulnerability of selected coastal informal settlements to floods in the Old Brahmaputra River floodplain, Bangladesh July 31, 2024 Urban Climate - Volume 56 , Article Number 102078
Seismic evaluation of non‑seismically detailed RC buildings in Pakistan: performance and damage accumulation under repeated earthquakes. May 30, 2024 Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering - Volume: 22, Pages 4547–4579,
Assessing Multidimensional Vulnerability of Rural Areas to Flooding: An Index-Based Approach February 26, 2024 International Journal of Disaster Risk Science - Volume 15, Pages 88-106
A bibliometric and systematic review of the Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe framework: A guide for the development of further multi-hazard holistic framework December 27, 2023 Jamba-Journal of Disaster Risk Studies - Volume 15, No. 1, Article Number a1486
Exploring the role of social capital in flood risk reduction: Insights from a systematic review December 01, 2023 Environmental Impact Assessment Review - Volume:105, Article Number: 107390
Flood resilience assessment from the perspective of urban (in)formality in Surat, India: Implications for sustainable development October 27, 2023 Natural Hazards - Pages 1-30
Digital real estate: a review of the technologies and tools transforming the industry and society October 24, 2023 Smart Construction and Sustainable Cities - Volume: 01, Article Number: 15, Pages: 21
Multi-hazard risk perception: An empirical study of the remote Gilgit city, Hindukush-Karakorum-Himalayan (HKH) region, Pakistan October 01, 2023 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 96, Article Number 103996
A novel framework to assess multidimensional disaster resilience of children: From conceptualization to quantification October 01, 2023 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume:96, Article Number: 103914
Actions, beliefs, and perceptions during COVID-19 lockdown: A comparative study of urban and rural communities of Rawalpindi, Pakistan October 01, 2023 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume:96, Article Number: 103918
Floods in Pakistan: A state-of-the-art review September 01, 2023 Natural Hazards Research - Volume:3, Issue:3, Page:359-373
Monsoon flood risks in urban areas of Pakistan: A way forward for risk reduction and adaptation planning June 15, 2023 Journal of Environmental Management - Volume 336, Article Number 117652
Evacuation decision making and risk perception: flooded rural communities in Pakistan June 13, 2023 Environmental Hazards - Vol:23, No. 1, Pages:54-71
Multidimensional poverty vis-à-vis climate change vulnerability: Empirical evidence from flood-prone rural communities of Charsadda and Nowshera districts in Pakistan June 01, 2023 World Development Sustainability - Volume 2, Article Number 100064
The impact of psychological distance to climate change and urban informality on adaptation planning May 01, 2023 Urban Climate - Volume 49, Article Number 101460
Institutional challenges in reducing disaster risks in the remote city of Hindukush-Karakorum-Himalayan (HKH) region, Pakistan April 01, 2023 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 88, Article Number 103581
The impact of brick kilns on environment and society: a bibliometric and thematic review February 25, 2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Volume 88, Pages 26
Psychological resilience of children in a multi-hazard environment: An index-based approach December 01, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 83, Article Number 103397
Climate change and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk perceptions: An empirical study of Ghizer District, Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan December 01, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 83, Article Number 103392
Quantifying the role of social capital for enhancing urban resilience against climate crisis: Empirical evidence from formal and informal settlements of Pakistan November 01, 2022 Cities - Volume 130, Article Number 103851
Estimation of Water Balance for Anticipated Land Use in the Potohar Plateau of the Indus Basin Using SWAT October 28, 2022 Remote Sensing - Volume 14(21), Article Number 5421
Gendered mode choice preferences and characteristics for educational trips in Abbottabad, Pakistan: An empirical investigation September 22, 2022 Case Studies on Transport Policy - Volume 10, Issue 4, Pages 2102-2110
Three-step neural network approach for predicting monsoon flood preparedness and adaptation: Application in urban communities of Lahore, Pakistan September 01, 2022 Urban Climate - Volume 45, Article Number 101266
A localized index-based approach to assess heatwave vulnerability and climate change adaptation strategies: A case study of formal and informal settlements of Lahore, Pakistan September 01, 2022 Environmental Impact Assessment Review - Volume 96, Article Number 106820
Flood risk perception and communication: The role of hazard proximity August 15, 2022 Journal of Environmental Management - Volume 316, Article Number 115309
Social protection in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: A bibliometric and thematic review August 08, 2022 Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences - Pages 1-19
Assessing the perceived spatial extent of a flood using cognitive mapping: a case study of rural communities along Indus and Chenab Rivers, Pakistan June 25, 2022 Modeling Earth Systems and Environment - Pages 1-16
The impact of risk perception on earthquake preparedness: An empirical study from Rawalakot, Pakistan June 15, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 76, Article Number 102989
A systematic analysis of worldwide disasters, epidemics and pandemics associated mortality of 210 countries for 15 years (2001–2015) June 15, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 76, Article Number 103001
Relationship of Residential Location Choice with Commute Travels and Socioeconomics in the Small Towns of South Asia: The Case of Hafizabad, Pakistan March 08, 2022 Sustainability - Volume 14(6), Article Number 3163
The use of local climate zones in the urban environment: A systematic review of data sources, methods, and themes March 01, 2022 Urban Climate - Volume 42, Article Number 101120
Linking flood risk perceptions and psychological distancing to climate change: A case study of rural communities along Indus and Chenab rivers, Pakistan February 15, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 70, Article Number 102787
Local climate zones and its potential for building urban resilience: a case study of Lahore, Pakistan February 15, 2022 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment - Pages 1-18
Impact of the built environment on climate change risk perception and psychological distancing: Empirical evidence from Islamabad, Pakistan January 01, 2022 Environmental Science and Policy - Volume 127, Pages 228-240
The spatiotemporal dynamics of urbanisation and local climate: A case study of Islamabad, Pakistan November 01, 2021 Environmental Impact Assessment Review - Volume 91, Article Number 106666
An approach to understanding the intrinsic complexity of resilience against floods: Evidences from three urban communities of Pakistan September 01, 2021 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 63, Article Number 102442
Determinants of transportation sustainability in universities of Islamabad, Pakistan August 09, 2021 International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education - Pages 1-17
Holistic Multidimensional Vulnerability Assessment: An empirical investigation on rural communities of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, Northern Pakistan August 01, 2021 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 62, Article Number 102413
Mode Choice Modeling for Educational Trips in a MediumSized City: Case Study of Abbottabad City, Pakistan July 26, 2021 Journal of Urban Planning and Development - Pages 1-11
Disaster management cycle and its application for flood risk reduction in urban areas of Pakistan July 01, 2021 Urban Climate - Volume 38, Article Number 100893
An index-based approach for understanding gender preferences in active commuting: A case study of Islamabad, Pakistan June 01, 2021 Case Studies on Transport Policy - Volume 9, Issue 2, Pages 600-607
COVID-19 risk perception and coping mechanisms: Does gender make a difference? March 01, 2021 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 55, Article Number 102096
Determinants of people’s seismic risk perception: A case study of Malakand, Pakistan March 01, 2021 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 55, Article Number 102078
An Updated Earthquake Catalogue and Source Model for Seismic Hazard Analysis of Pakistan February 26, 2021 Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering - Pages 1-23
An updated probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) for Pakistan February 18, 2021 Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering - Pages 1-38
Assessing school safety against natural and human-made hazards: A case study of Gilgit city, Pakistan December 31, 2020 Journal of Geography and Social Sciences - Volume 2(2), Pages 133-147
Impact of Droughts Empirical Evidences from Thar Region, Pakistan December 31, 2020 Book on Drought Risk Management in South and South-East Asia - 1st Edition, Chapter 5, Pages 96-112
Tourism and Disasters: A Systematic Review from 2010–2019 November 27, 2020 Journal of Extreme Events - Volume 7(1-2), Article Number 2030001
Disaster and climate change resilience: A bibliometric analysis November 01, 2020 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 50, Article Number 101839
The effect of spatial proximity to cities on rural vulnerability against flooding: An indicator based approach November 01, 2020 Ecological Indicators - Volume 118, Article Number 106704
Gender-based emergency preparedness and awareness: empirical evidences from high-school students of Gilgit, Pakistan October 30, 2020 Environmental Hazards - Pages 1-16
The relevance of city size to the vulnerability of surrounding rural areas: An empirical study of flooding in Pakistan September 01, 2020 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 48, Article Number 101601
Public and Private Sector Interventions in Post-disaster Resettlement: A Case Study of Model Villages in Pakistan August 30, 2020 Book on External Interventions for Disaster Risk Reduction - Chapter 13, Pages 229-252
How do rural-urban linkages change after an extreme flood event? Empirical evidence from rural communities in Pakistan August 09, 2020 Science of the Total Environment - Volume 750, Article Number 141462
Characterizing flood risk perception in urban communities of Pakistan June 01, 2020 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 46, Article Number 101624
Effectiveness of flood early warning system from the perspective of experts and three affected communities in urban areas of Pakistan April 10, 2020 Environmental Hazards - Volume 19, Pages 1-21
A Conceptual Framework to Understand the Dynamics of Rural–Urban Linkages for Rural Flood Vulnerability April 05, 2020 Sustainability - Volume 12, Issue 7, Article Number 2894
Gender-based approach for assessing risk perception in a multi-hazard environment: A study of high schools of Gilgit, Pakistan April 01, 2020 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 44, Article Number 101427
The Impact of Extreme Floods on Rural Communities: Evidence from Pakistan February 15, 2020 Book on Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options - Pages 585-613
Seismic vulnerability assessment of building stock of Malakand (Pakistan) using FEMA P‑154 method December 01, 2019 SN Applied Sciences - Volume: 1, Issue: 12, Article Number: 1625
Socioeconomic Vulnerability Assessment: A Case Study of Flood Prone Urban Communities of Pakistan October 18, 2019 An Interdisciplinary Approach for Disaster Resilience and Sustainability - Chapter 8, Pages 123-139
An empirical relationship between seismic risk perception and physical vulnerability: A case study of Malakand, Pakistan September 07, 2019 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 41, Article Number 101317
Building community resilience in post-disaster resettlement in Pakistan August 29, 2019 International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment - Volume 10, Issue 4, Pages 301-315, Special Issue SI
Spatiotemporal dynamics of development inequalities in Lahore City Region, Pakistan July 26, 2019 Cities - Volume 96, Article Number 102418
Determining Factors Influencing Residents’ Satisfaction Regarding Urban Livability in Pakistan July 01, 2019 International Journal of Community Well-Being - Volume 2, Issue 2, Pages 91-110
Assessing relationship between vulnerability and capacity: An empirical study on rural flooding in Pakistan May 01, 2019 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 36, Article Number 101109
Price risk management using forward contracts: the case of farmers in Pakistan December 10, 2018 International Journal of Value Chain Management - Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages 241-256
Multidimensional Model for Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Flooding: An Empirical Study in Pakistan September 01, 2018 International Journal of Disaster Risk Science - Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages 359–375
Community participation framework for post-disaster resettlement and its practical application in Pakistan August 18, 2018 Disaster Prevention and Management - Volume: 27, Issue: 5, Pages 604-622
Integrated methodology for flood risk assessment and application in urban communities of Pakistan March 01, 2018 Natural Hazards - Volume 91, Pages 239–266
Lahore, Pakistan - Urbanization challenges and opportunities February 01, 2018 Cities - Volume 72, Part B, Pages 348-355
The spatial and temporal dynamics of infrastructure development disparity ? From assessment to analyses December 26, 2017 Cities - Volume 63, Pages 20-32
Assessing the socioeconomic and infrastructure development disparity - a case study of city districts of Punjab, Pakistan December 01, 2017 International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development - Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages 151-163
Changes in Vulnerability and Response Capacities of Rural Communities After Extreme Events: Case of Major Floods of 2010 and 2014 in Pakistan September 01, 2017 Journal of Extreme Events - Volume 04, Issue 03, Article No.1750013
Actual vis-a-vis perceived risk of flood prone urban communities in Pakistan September 16, 2016 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 19, Pages 366-378
An empirical assessment of farmers' risk attitudes in flood-prone areas of Pakistan September 01, 2016 International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction - Volume 18, Pages 107-114
A multi-scale modeling approach for simulating urbanization in a metropolitan region December 01, 2015 Habitat International - Volume 50, Pages 354-365
Conferences
Harnessing Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigate Urban Heatwaves October 30, 2023 - October 31, 2023 Aimen Feroz, Abdul Waheed, Irfan Ahmad Rana, 1st International Conference on Climate-Induced Disasters and Mitigation
Adaptation Planning for Flood Risk Reduction in Urban Areas of Pakistan. October 30, 2023 - October 31, 2023 Hassam Bin Waseem, Abdul Waheed, Irfan Ahmad Rana, 1st International Conference on Climate-Induced Disasters and Mitigation
Assessment of human heat vulnerability of different Local Climate Zones in Lahore Coupling remote sensing and socioeconomic data May 17, 2023 - May 19, 2023 Nimra Iqbal, Ayman Aslam, Ali Jamshed, Marvin Ravan, Jörn Birkmann, Irfan Ahmad Rana, 2023 Joint Urban Remote Sensing Event, JURSE 2023
Assistant Director Lahore Development Authority December 01, 2010 - August 10, 2012