Halima Akter is a graduate student specializing in Coastal Studies and Disaster Management at the University of Barishal, Bangladesh, with expected graduation in 2025. She possesses over two years of research experience focused on environmental impact assessment, water resources, coastal zone management, disaster risk management, and climate change. Her technical skills include qualitative field surveys, geospatial mapping and analysis using GIS tools such as ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, ArcMap, and Google Earth Engine, as well as quantitative data analysis with SPSS and MS Excel. She also has foundational programming knowledge in Python.

Currently, Halima is a Research Intern at UniV Bangladesh’s R&D Unit and serves as a Research Member at Nirmol Bangladesh, where she contributes to community-based research projects aimed at national development and social impact. As a Climate Resilience Fellow with the Open Mapping Hub–Asia Pacific and HOT Philippines, she has conducted climate risk assessments and designed adaptation projects in urban slums of Dhaka.

Halima notably contributed as a Co-Facilitator for BRAC’s Urban Development Programme, where she conducted community-based assessments through key informant interviews and focus group discussions, coordinated event themes, managed session logistics, and prepared comprehensive reports to support urban resilience and development initiatives.

In addition to her research and fieldwork, she holds leadership roles including Operations Lead for a Thalassemia Project at Barishal Blood Donors Club and President of the Rajbari District Students Welfare Association. She also coordinates climate and human rights awareness campaigns for the Global Youth Society for Humanity.

Halima has completed numerous trainings that enhance her expertise, including the Climate Resilience Fellowship’s Culmination Week by World Vision Bangladesh, Advanced GIS training through the ICT Division at University of Barishal, Basic Python Programming, and courses on Land, Livelihoods & Adaptation from ICCCAD. She has also participated in workshops addressing social and environmental data for climate migrants, watershed wetlands conservation, and energy sustainability.