Abdullah Al Mamun, PhD, is a multidisciplinary academic and researcher affiliated with Western Sydney University, the University of Wollongong, the University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Rajshahi. His work spans a broad range of disciplines, including Social Design, Social Equity, Social Impact, Social and Community Planning, Urban Planning and Sustainability, Human Geography, Economic and Urban Geography, Climate Change, Heritage Economics, Climate Economics, Health and Urban Economics, Community Welfare and Resilience, Political Economy, Planetary Health, the Circular Economy, and Net-Zero Futures.

Dr Mamun earned his PhD in Social Science in Development Geography, Climate Economics, and Urban Planning from the Geography and Urban Planning Discipline at Western Sydney University (2025). His research critically examines how climate stressors, rapid urbanisation, and inequality intersect in climate action within cities of the Global South. Using a life-course and human-welfare lens, combined with mixed-methods approaches, he explores how these dynamics degrade ecosystems, undermine heritage-based livelihoods, exacerbate climate injustice, and deepen vulnerabilities in disadvantaged communities. His work advocates for community-led, nature-positive urban planning strategies that restore ecosystems, advance inclusive welfare, rejuvenate heritage economies, and foster participatory climate governance. He develops socioecological economic strategies to regenerate ecosystems, enhance urban sustainability, and promote resilient local economies, thereby reducing climate vulnerabilities.

He holds a Master of Economics (Research) from Kobe University, Japan (2016), where he employed instrumental variables (IV) and system GMM techniques on a longitudinal study to assess the impact of foreign aid on economic growth and advocated social business and community economy models. His academic journey began with an MA in Folkloristics (and Social Development Studies) from the University of Rajshahi (2003), where he explored sustainable development through local craftsmanship and small-scale entrepreneurship.

Dr Mamun possesses advanced methodological and analytical expertise, as well as proficiency with software and tools such as Stata, R, NVivo, MAXQDA, ArcGIS, and Qualtrics. He has extensive fieldwork experience utilising surveys, knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) studies, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and participatory research methods such as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA), and Participatory Action Research (PAR)—ensuring culturally responsive and inclusive research practices.

His scholarly contributions include publications in Science of the Total Environment and the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management (IJCCSM), as well as book chapters published by Routledge and Peter Lang. He served as Associate Editor for IJCCSM and co-edited its 2024 special issue on the circular economy and climate change.

Dr Mamun contributed to applied research at UTS, including projects on sustainable fashion, low-carbon concrete, and renewable energy. At the UTS School of Electrical and Data Engineering, he worked on a $1.6 million TasNetworks-funded microgrid project examining business models, energy systems, governance, stakeholder engagement, trust, and community involvement. This work highlighted that energy transitions rely on technology, social legitimacy, governance, and institutional support.

At UTS Business School and the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, Dr Mamun contributed to research on circular economy transitions, focusing on peer-to-peer clothing rental and sustainable consumption. He also studied the commercialisation of lower-carbon concrete through the UTS Boral Centre for Sustainable Building and the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a focus on reducing construction emissions.

Dr Mamun has coordinated collaborations with Western Sydney University, the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Sydney, and the University of Florida, focusing on climate change adaptation, community resilience, the circular economy, and net-zero pathways. These collaborations enhance his ability to conduct policy-relevant research and to collaborate across sectors to tackle sustainability challenges.

With over 17 years of teaching experience across face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats, Dr Mamun is an educator committed to critical thinking, inclusivity, and experiential learning. He has taught and coordinated a wide range of courses in economics, social sciences, and geography. His teaching portfolio includes Economics for Business (23115) and Business and Social Impact (21214) at UTS; Economics and Society (ECON102), Economic Essentials for Business (ECON100), Health Economics, Policy and Promotion (PGPH903), Global Political Economy (POL309), and Human Security, Global Capitalism & the Environment (NTS311) at the University of Wollongong; and Introduction to Urban Studies (HUMN1008 Cities), Community Management and Organizations (WELF2001), Financing Cities in the Global Economy (BLDG7006), People, Places and Social Differences (HUMN1041), Issues in World Development: Rich World, Poor World (HUMN2032), Cultural and Social Geographies (101590), and Working with Communities (101900) at Western Sydney University. At the University of Rajshahi, he developed innovative courses, including Environmental Folkloristics and Sustainability, and Medical Folkloristics and Public Health.

Dr Mamun is a member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). He has served on the boards of the Economic Geography and Food and Agriculture Specialty Groups and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Energy and Environment Specialty Group. He presents his research at major international conferences, including the AAG Annual Meetings, the Beyond SDG11 Symposium (hosted by the Australian Academy of Science), and the University of Oxford's Nature-based Solutions Conference.

Deeply committed to bridging science, society, and policy, Dr Mamun advances evidence-based planning and policy to address urgent global challenges in community welfare, urban sustainability, climate adaptation, social equity, and clean energy access in disadvantaged communities. His research and educational leadership advocate nature-based, community-driven, and inclusive strategies to advance welfare, rejuvenate heritage economies, and foster resilient urban communities, ultimately achieving net-zero and sustainable futures across the Global South, in Australia and beyond.