Ghulam Raza Bhatti
Ghulam Raza Bhatti, Ph.D (Aizaz-e-Fazeelat) [7], more commonly known as Raza Bhatti, is a scientist and scholar in the field of botany and environment from Pakistan, known for his research in the various areas relating to natural conservation and Biodiversity. He is a Meritorious Professor [8]at Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU). He also holds the offices of Director Center for Biodiversity and Conservation [9] & Pro-vice-chancellor [10] SALU Shikarpur Campus. He has completed many environmental and ecological projects in Pakistan and internationally for ‘Pakistan Science Foundation’, World Wide Fund for Nature, OMV (the Austrian mineral oil authority), Halcrow, British Petroleum, Petronas, Lasmo, and Tethan Copper Company (TTC); and for New Doha International Airport in Qatar [11] . He is an author of about 70 research papers presented or published in different national and international conferences and journals. He is also credited for reviving the higher education and research practices in Pakistan. He is a member and office bearer of different professional societies and he supervises many Ph.D. and M.Phil. students.
Early career
Education
Raza Bhatti received his secondary education from Gambat and Higher Secondary School Certificate from Hyderabad, Sindh. In 1981, he received B.Sc (Hons.) in Geology, followed by M.Sc & M.Phil in Botany from University of Sindh. He received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Taxonomy under supervision of Dr. Martin Ingrouille at Birkbeck, University of London in 1995 [12]. Bhatti is also recipient of International Diploma in Botanic Garden Management from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London in 2007 [13].
Academic career
Raza Bhatti started his career in 1984 as a Lecturer at SALU Khairpur. He remained Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London from 1989 to 1995. In 2004, he became Founder Director of Herbarium and Botanical Garden, Shah Abdul Latif University [14]. During his directorship, he further upgraded Herbarium and Botanical Garden, Shah Abdul Latif University and established Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in 2010[15] [fn 1] , which is Pakistan's first and only organization of Biological Diversity and Conservation in 2009 vide approval by the Governor/Chancellor Universities of Sindh. Maintaining his extra-ordinary teaching and research activities he was promoted from Professor to Meritorious Professor in August 14, 2011. In September 2011, Governor or Chancellor of Universities of Sindh appointed Bhatti as Pro-Vice Chancellor Shikarpur Campus of Shah Abdul Latif University[17].
Focal Person for International Year of Biodiversity 2010
The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation was established in the beginning of 2010, which was landmark in the history of Pakistan. Since the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity “IYB-2010”. In this connection, Raza Bhatti was nominated as a Focal Person for International Year of Biodiversity by Higher Education Commission to the Ministry of Environment (Pakistan). As a focal person Raza Bhatti mobilized and organized various types of celebrations for International Year of Biodiversity 2010 in all the universities of Pakistan.
Raza Bhatti organized series of events relating to Biodiversity awareness through conducting Seminars, Workshops and Conferences in different Universities of the Pakistan, as listed below:
Along-with national participation, Dr. Raza Bhatti also took part international celebrations of Biodiversity in the following events:
Research
Selected publications
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M. “The Systematics of Comanthosphace S.Moore (Lamiaceae)”. Fontqueria 42: 1-10. (1995) Madrid, Spain.
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M. “Relationships of subfamily Pogostemonoideae revealed by stamen characters”. Lameiales News letter. (1996), Royal Botanic G89-456+1ardens, Kew, Richmond, England.
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M.”The Systematics of Anisomeles R. Brown (Lamiaceae)”. Fontqueria 44: 77-84, (1996), Madrid, Spain.
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M. Monograph on the “Systematics of genus Pogostemon Desf.” Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Anatomy of Indumentum types in the genus Pogostemon. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Morphology of nutlets surface through Scanning Electron Microscopy. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Morphology of the dissected corollas, calyces and bracts types in Pogostemon. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Inflorescence types as an aid in the identification of the genus Pogostemon. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Significance of the leaf form in the classification of the genus Pogostemon. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Three new species and a variety of Pogostemon. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London, (Bot). Vol.27, No.2, pp. 77-147, (1997).
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M. “The Sexual Status of Colebrookea (Labiatae)”. Telopea Vol.7(3) pp. 221-225 (1997) Royal Botanic Garden’s Sydney, National Herbarium of South Wales, Australia.
- Bhatti, G.R. & Ingrouille, M. “Misidentification of specimens belonging to genus Eurysolen gracilis Prain with Pogostemon wattii C.B.Clarke”. Rheedea, Vol.7 (1), pp. 27-36(1997). Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT), University of Calicut, Kerala, India.
- Ingrouille, M. & Bhatti, G.R. “Inferageneric relationships within Pogostemon Desf. (Labiatae)” Botanical Jour. Of the Linnean Society, London, 128: 159-83 (1998).
- Habib Ahmed, Bhatti.G.R. and Latif, A. “Medicinal Flora of the Thar Desert: An Over View of Problems and their Feasible Solution” Zonas Aridas No. 8. Centre for Arid lands Research. Agrarian National University, La Molina, Lima-Peru (2004).
- Qureshi, R., Bhatti, G.R., (2005) Nara Desert, Pakistan, Part-1: Soil, Climate and Vegetation. Vol.27:5 pp. 27-31, Rangelands, Society for Range management, USA
Environmental impact assessment consultant
- Ecological Baseline Conditions of the Project sites of “New Doha International Airport (NDIA) Qatar.
- Environmental impact assessment of Tethan Copper Company (TCC-Australian) at Reko Diq, Balochistan.
- Baseline (surveying) of Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Khairpur Sindh.
- Initial Environmental Examination for Exploratory Drilling for Chung Well with reference to flora of their project area. Client: PKP (Pakistan) Limited, (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination for Exploratory Drilling for Sawan Well-5, 6, 10, 11 with reference to flora of their project area in the Nara desert.Client: OMV (Pakistan) Limited, (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Environmental Impact Assessment of Minao with reference to flora of the project area in the Nara desert. Client: OMV (Pakistan) Limited, (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination in terms of Plant Biodiversity for Flow line laying in Badin Block. Client: BP Exploration Limited (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination for Oil and gas field Development in Badin Block with reference to flora. Client: BP Exploration Limited (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination for Exploratory Drilling for Rehmat-2 Well in Mubarak block with reference to flora of Nara desert. Client: Petronas Carigali (Pakistan) Limited (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination in terms of Plant Biodiversity for Exploratory Wells in Sawan Block. Client: OMV Exploration Pakistan G.m.b.H (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Environmental Monitoring of seismic activity in East Kadanwari with reference to Vegetation. Client: Petronas Carigali (Pakistan) Limited (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Initial Environmental Examination in terms of Plant Biodiversity for Miano-6 Well drilling and associate activities in Miano Block in Nara desert. Client: OMV Exploration Pakistan G.m.b.H (Hagler Bailly Pakistan).
- Environmental Monitoring in terms of Plant Biodiversity Of Exploratory of Miano - 6 Well in the Miano Block Client: OMV Exploration Pakistan G.m.b.H (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Baseline Study for Seismic Operations in Nara Game Reserve in Gambat Block Client: OMV Pakistan Exploration GmbH (Halcrow Pakistan).
- Baseline (surveying) for East Kadanwari (Nara desert) Client: LASMO Oil Pakistan Exploration GmbH (Hagler Bailly Pakistan).
Herbaria and botanical gardens researched
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew London, UK;
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- Cambridge University Botanic Garden, UK;
- Chelsea Physic Garden, London, UK;
- Oxford University Botanical Garden, UK;
- Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK;
- Eden Project Cornwall, UK;
- Indian Botanic Garden, Calcutta, India;
- Kew Herbarium, London;
- Herbarium British Museum of Natural History, London;
- Herbarium at Linnean Society of London;
- Herbarium, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, UK;
- Herbarium Indian Botanical Society, Poona;
- Herbarium Indian Botanical Society, Calcutta;
- Herbarium Indian Botanical Society, Coimbatore;
- Herbarium Forest Institute, Dehradun, India;
- Rabinath Herbarium, St. Joseph, College, Tiruchirapalli, India,
- Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Fateh university Turkey,
- Marmara University Turkey.
Memberships
“Research Committee” Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, providing counseling to faculty member for enhancement of research activities.
• Pakistan Botanical Society (Lifetime).
• Vice president of Pakistan Botanical Society.
• Vice president of Pakistan Ethnobotanical Society of Pakistan.
• Member on “Provincial Working Group on damage caused by Drying/Dieback Disease to Dilbergia sisso (SHISHAM) and other trees in Sindh.
• Member National Curriculum Committee for Botany, HEC. (2005-onwards).
• Member Pakistan Science Foundation Technical Committee on Biological Science 2005 onwards.
• Regional Representative for Central Asia of International Society for Seed Science (ISSS), for three years, from October 2006- onwards, based in the University of Sheffield, UK.
• Member National Report of Pakistan for UN Convention to Combat Desert and Desertification (2006).
• Member Syndicate, Senate, Academic council, Advanced Studies and Research Board, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur.
• Referee for HEC Projects
References
Notes
- ^ "I have been affiliated with Shah Abdul Latif University since December 2002 when I first met Dr. Raza Bhatti and Mr Shakeel Ahmed during a field visit to collect a baseline data of an EIA in Takkar wildlife sanctuary. At that time Dr. Sahib’s personality impressed me and I saw a keenness in him to deliver to the highest professional level. Since then we have been grateful for his never ending cooperation with Halcrow Pakistan to conduct numerous baseline studies which were not only limited to the Sindh province but also to Nokkundi and Taftan areas of Baluchistan and even internationally in Doha, Qatar. I last visited Shah Abdul Latif University in 2006 and Dr Sahibs informed me regarding his plans for the development of center for biodiversity and botanical garden. There then I thought that Dr Sahib is thinking of something out of this world and honestly I felt that this wont be achievable. On March 27th 2010, I visited Sukkur to attend a Public hearing and Dr Sahib invited us to visit the center of biodiversity. When we reached there I could see something which I considered impossible and the ideas of Dr Sahib were completely reflected by each and every facility and structure standing at the Center of biodiversity especially the glass house in which we witnessed species successfully grown outside of their inherent habitat. This was quite a memorable evening and I think CBC is a great gift for the generations to come. I believe that tools, facilities and knowledge database available at CBC will produce great professionals in the field of science of technology. I wish all faculty members and students success in their future endeavors." Aqib Gulzar Project Manager, Environment, Halcrow Pakistan. [16]
See also
External links