Afroz Ahmad Shah

Dr Afroz Ahmad Shah

Afroz Shah is an earthquake scientist, educator, and National Geographic Explorer who specializes in structural geology and seismic hazards. He is a Senior Assistant Professor at the Department of Geosciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). His research focuses on earthquake-causing faults and the deformation of lithospheric plates, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. Afroz earned his Ph.D. in 2010 from James Cook University, Australia, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth Observatory of Singapore (2013). He began his academic career as a Senior Lecturer in Structural Geology at Curtin Sarawak, Malaysia, before joining UBD, where he leads geoscience education and outreach initiatives.

Afroz Shah is an Assistant Professor of Structural Geology at the Department of Geosciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), where he leads the Geosciences Programme. He earned his Ph.D. from James Cook University, Australia (2010), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth Observatory of Singapore (2013). His academic career began as a Senior Lecturer in Structural Geology at Curtin Sarawak, Malaysia, before he joined UBD.

His research focuses on the brittle deformation of lithospheric plates, with an emphasis on earthquake-causing faults in South and Southeast Asia. He is currently mapping the influence of tectonics and gravitational forces on coastal evolution and hazards such as subsidence-related flooding. His work also contributes to Loss and Damage discussions, shaping future research directions.

Beyond academia, he is passionate about Earth science education and outreach, frequently writing for newspapers, magazines, and blogs to make geoscience accessible to a wider audience.

Myanmar Earthquake of March 2025

Tremors on Kashmir's Shaky Ground

Earthquake Hazards in Kashmir, India

Earthquake Hazards and Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and Opportunities

This video explores the deep interconnection between earthquake hazards and the global pursuit of sustainable development. Drawing from case studies across South and Southeast Asia—including the recent magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar—Dr. Afroz Shah highlights how seismic disasters exacerbate vulnerabilities, deepen inequality, and hinder progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through compelling examples and practical solutions, he calls for improved seismic hazard mapping, the enforcement of resilient building codes, global cooperation, and the integration of scientific innovation with community engagement. Shah emphasizes the need to establish a United Nations Framework Convention on Earthquake Hazards (UNFCEH) that could bridge the gap between developed and developing nations by enhancing global coordination and funding for earthquake risk reduction efforts. The talk ultimately urges policymakers, scientists, and educators to work collectively toward building safer, more equitable, and earthquake-resilient societies. Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) is a member of SDSN Southeast Asia. Tags case study, brunei, southeast asia, asia, asia pacific, disasters, sdg11, license_ccbync Appears in Browse All Videos, SDSN Spotlights, SDG9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG11 Sustainable Cities, SDG17 Partnerships, English, Urban Planning, Earth Science Source: https://sdgacademylibrary.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Earthquake+Hazards+and+SDGs%3A+Challenges+and+Opportunities/1_8i965pyg/256365003

Selected publications

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earthquake-resilience-in-kash...

https://temblor.net/temblor/united-nations-framework-convention-on-earth...

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/turkish-earthquake-shows-why-m...

https://www.thesciencebreaker.org/breaks/earth-space/poverty-and-unprepa...

https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/nh/2020/08/03/faults-and-earthquakes-as-f...

Shah, A. A., Qadri, T., & Khwaja, S. (2018). Living with earthquake hazards in South and South East Asia. ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement, 2(1), 2.

https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/ajce/vol2/iss1/2/

Shah, A. A. (2023). Poverty and unpreparedness make monsters out of ordinary hazards. TheScienceBreaker, 9(3).

Shah, A. A., & Malik, J. N. (2017). Four major unknown active faults identified, using satellite data, in India and Pakistan portions of NW Himalaya. Natural Hazards, 88, 1845-1865.

Shah, A. A., Rachman, M. G., & Mahoor, M. (2024). Transition of Earthquake Hazards into Disasters. In Natural Hazards and Risk Mitigation: Natural Hazards in Himalaya and Risk Mitigation (pp. 173-190). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

Shah, A. A., Rachman, M. G., Kumar, R., Vashistha, A., Dashora, A., & Mahoor, M. (2024). Pre-disposed tectonic subsidence controls flood hazards and unplanned urbanisation dominates the flood disasters in the Pliocene to Holocene Kashmir basin, NW Himalayas. Quaternary Science Advances, 14, 100173.

Manan, N. A., Shah, A. A., Zainul, & Gazali. (2024). Earthquake scenario mapping reveals future earthquake hazards on a portion of the Himalayan Megathrust fault, NW Himalaya. In Geo-information for Disaster Monitoring and Management (pp. 59-78). Cham: Springer International Publishing.