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Hire Dr. Dr. Mahesh K G.

India

USD 800 /hr

Principal Scientist, Expert in arid lands, remote sensing, GIS, and dryland sustainability, 30+ yrs experience

Profile Summary

Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur is a distinguished Principal Scientist at one of India’s premier research institutions, with extensive expertise in arid lands geography and desert ecosystems. His work spans both hot and cold desert environments, focusing on the application of satellite remote sensing, GIS, and digital image processing for natural resource mapping, monitoring, and sustainable management. His research addresses the critical environmental challenges including drought, desertification, land degradation, indigenous knowledge systems, and the socio-economic dynamics of India’s dryland regions. Prior to his current role, he served for over 13 years as an Associate Professor in the State Department of Higher Education, India. He has led and contributed to numerous national and international research projects, collaborating with leading organisations such as ICAR, ISRO, SAC, UGC, and ICARDA. He has an exceptional publication record with 70 research papers in national and international journals, 65 conference papers, 50 book chapters, 12 scholarly books, and several popular science articles. An active member of global scientific communities, he is associated with organisations such as the Association of American Geographers and the Society for Conservation Biology, and serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals. His academic engagements have also taken him to South Africa, Namibia, and Costa Rica for international collaborations and professional assignments.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Remote Sensing
• ☆ Surveillance Systems
• ☆ Data Analysis
• ☆ Data Visualization
• ☆ Earth & Atmospheric Science
• ☆ Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• ☆ Geography & Cartography
• ☆ Human Geography
• ☆ Geographic Information Systems
• ☆ Land Surveying
• ☆ Cartography
• ☆ Geology
• ☆ Geomorphology
• ☆ Deserts & Arid Regions
• ☆ Environmental Science
• ☆ Environmental Management & Protection
• ☆ Deforestation
• ☆ Knowledge Management

Services

• Writing

Writing Technical Writing, Copywriting, General Proofreading & Editing, Translation

Work Experience

Principal Scientist

Central Arid Zone Research Institute

September 2020 - Present

Senior Scientist

Central Arid Zone Research Institute

September 2012 - September 2020

Associate Professor

Government of Rajasthan, India

November 1997 - September 2012

Research Officer/Senior Research Officer

INRIMT

January 1994 - November 1997

Education

PhD

JNV University

August 1988 - September 1992

M.A./M.Sc.

JNV University

July 1986 - June 1988

B.Sc.

University of Jodhpur

July 1981 - June 1986

Certifications

• Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing

  IIRS

  March 1989 - Present

• Remote Sensing, GIS and Digital Image Processing

  RRSSC, ISRO

  December 1997 - December 1997

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

M. K. Gaur, R.K. GOYAL (2025). Land Use Dynamics and Challenges in Leh District: A Temporal Analysis of Recent Three Decades . Annals of Arid Zone.

P. Ishfaq Akbar, M. S. Kanwar, Mahesh Kumar Gaur, R.K.Goyal (2025). Underutilized Vegetables of Kashmir Valley, India: Food for Future . International Journal of Environment and Climate Change.

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M., Ariapour, A.(2022). Land Degradation Neutrality in the World’s Rangelands: Contemporary Approaches to Old Problems Using New Solutions . Journal of Rangeland Science. 12. (3). p. 308-321.

Gaur, M.K., Goyal, R.K., Saha, D., Singh, N., Shekhar, S., Ajai, Chauhan, J.S.(2022). The estimation of snow cover distribution using satellite data in the cold arid leh region of Indian Himalaya . Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. 31. (1). p. 63-73.

Mahesh Gaur, R. Goyal, Dipankar Saha, Neelratan Singh, Shubhendu Shekhar, Ajai Ajai, J. Chauhan (2021). The Estimation of Snow Cover Distribution Using Satellite Data in the Cold Arid Leh Region of Indian Himalaya . Polish Journal of Environmental Studies.

Chand, K., Choudhary, B.B., Suresh, A., Mishra, A.K., Gaur, M.K., Singh, P., Louhaichi, M.(2021). What determines migration of sheep flocks? Evidences from thar desert of Rajasthan . Indian Journal of Small Ruminants. 27. (2). p. 275-279.

December 2020, Volume 33, Issue 2, 394-399 .

(2020). CHANGING GROUNDWATER RESOURCES SCENARIO OF WESTERN RAJASTHAN . International Journal of Agriculture Sciences.

Mahesh Kumar Gaur, R. K. Goyal, M. S. Raghuvanshi, R. K. Bhatt, M. Pandian, Ashish Mishra, Suraj Ismail Sheikh(2020). Geospatially extracting snow and ice cover distribution in the cold arid zone of India . International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management. 11. (S1). p. 84--99. Springer Science and Business Media {LLC}

Gaur, M., Goyal, R., K., S. (2020). 'Common Property Resources as Village Ecosystem Service Center in Drylands of Rajasthan, India', Journal of Rangeland Science, 10(1), pp. 57-72 .

Gaur, M.K., Goyal, R.K., Shiran, K.(2020). Common property resources as village ecosystem service centre in drylands of Rajasthan, India . Journal of Rangeland Science. 10. (1). p. 57-72.

Gaur, M.K., Goyal, R.K., Raghuvanshi, M.S., Bhatt, R.K., Pandian, M., Mishra, A., Sheikh, S.I.(2020). Geospatially extracting snow and ice cover distribution in the cold arid zone of India . International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management. 11. p. 84-99.

Gaur, Mahesh Kumar, Goyal, R. K., Raghuvanshi, M. S., Bhatt, R. K., Pandian, M., Mishra, Ashish, Sheikh, Suraj Ismail (2020). Geospatially extracting snow and ice cover distribution in the cold arid zone of India . International Journal of Systems Assurance Engineering and Management.

(2019). Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC.: an invasive alien in community grazing lands and its control through utilization in the Indian Thar Desert . Arid Land Research and Management.

Pandey, C.B., Singh, A.K., Saha, D., Mathur, B.K., Tewari, J.C., Kumar, M., Goyal, R.K., Mathur, M., Gaur, M.K.(2019). Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC.: an invasive alien in community grazing lands and its control through utilization in the Indian Thar Desert . Arid Land Research and Management. 33. (4). p. 427-448.

Pandey, C. B., Singh, A. K., Saha, D., Mathur, B. K., Tewari, J. C., Kumar, M., Goyal, R. K., Mathur, M., Gaur, M. K. (2019). <i>Prosopis juliflora</i> (Swartz) DC.: an invasive alien in community grazing lands and its control through utilization in the Indian Thar Desert . Arid Land Research and Management.

Mahesh Kumar Gaur, R. K. Goyal, S. Kalappurakkal, C. B. Pandey(2018). Common property resources in drylands of India . International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. p. 1--9. Informa {UK} Limited

Gaur, M.K., Goyal, R.K., Kalappurakkal, S., Pandey, C.B.(2018). Common property resources in drylands of India . International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology. 25. (6). p. 491-499.

Gaur, Mahesh Kumar, Goyal, R. K., Kalappurakkal, S., Pandey, C. B. (2018). Common property resources in drylands of India . International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology.

Gaur MK, Chand K (2016). Monitoring of Sheep Migration in Arid Region of Rajasthan, India Using EO Data . Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography.

Moharana, P.C., Gaur, M.K., Choudhary, C., Chauhan, J.S., Rajpurohit, R.S.(2013). A system of geomorphological mapping for western Rajasthan with relevance for agricultural land use . Annals of Arid Zone. 52. (3-4). p. 163-180.

Gaur, M.K., Gaur, H.(2004). Combating desertification: Building on traditional knowledge systems of the Thar Desert communities . Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 99. (1-3). p. 89-103.

Gaur, MK, Gaur, H (2004). Combating desertification: Building on traditional knowledge systems of the thar desert communities . Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

GAUR, MK (1990). ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION - AN AGENDA FOR CORRECTIVES . New Environmental Age.

Effect of Different Girth Classes on Gum Arabic Production from Acacia senegal in Arid Western Rajasthan .

Gum Production on Different Land Forms in Arid Western Rajasthan .

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Spp. L): A Sanjeevani (Elixir) of Cold Arid Trans-Himalayan Region of India .

MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Mahesh K Gaur, Mahesh K Gaur, Mahesh K Gaur (2022). Reviving Forests—A Call for Careful Planning . The Earth & I.

BOOK CHAPTER

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2020). Agricultural productivity and food security . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 33-48.

Gaur, M.K., Squires, V.R.(2020). Changes in agricultural land use and food security: Challenges for north west, India . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 257-280.

Pankaj, P.K., Gaur, M.K., Nirmala, G., Maruthi, V., Pushpanjali, Samuel, J., Reddy, K.S.(2020). Diversification and land use management practices for food and nutritional security under the climate change scenario in arid and semi-arid regions of India . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 281-309.

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2020). Food security and land use change under conditions of climate variability: Synthesis and uniting perspectives . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 331-345.

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K., Feng, H.(2020). The critical role of smallholders in ensuring food security . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 79-106.

Suhubdy, Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2020). Reality and consequence for livestock production, human nutrition, health, and food security under the impact of climate change . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 241-255.

Raghuvanshi, M.S., Gaur, M.K., Goyal, R.K.(2020). Vulnerability of resource-poor farmers to climate change and traditional adaptation pattern at high-altitude cold arid region . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 311-329.

Gaur, M.K., Squires, V.R.(2017). Geographic extent and characteristics of the world's arid zones and their peoples . Climate Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods in Drylands. p. 3-20.

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2017). Unifying concepts, synthesis, and conclusions . Climate Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods in Drylands. p. 335-348.

Gaur, M.K., Squires, V.R.(2017). Drylands under a climate change regime: Implications for the land and the pastoral people they support . Climate Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods in Drylands. p. 319-334.

BOOK

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2020). Editors’ preface . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. v-viii.

(2020). Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability . [].

Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K.(2020). Food security and land use change under conditions of climatic variability: A multidimensional perspective . Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability: A Multidimensional Perspective. p. 1-355.

(2019). Drylands: . Book.

Gaur, M.K., Squires, V.R.(2017). Editors' preface . Climate Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods in Drylands. p. ix-xii.

(2014). Environment, People and Development.

(2013). Remote Sensing Application in Dryland Natural Resources Management.

EDITED BOOK

Climate Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods in Drylands http://www.rangeland.ir/article_532907.html .

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306909729_Remote_Sensing_Applications_for_Natural_Resources_Management_Monitoring .