Statement of Research Interest

Dear Dr. John Armitage,

I am writing to express my sincere interest in the research opportunity at IFPEN, Paris, France, focused on
"Hidden Water and Landscape Erosion: Understanding the Link Between Storage, Release, and
Catastrophic Erosion." This captivating project aligns seamlessly with my academic background, research
interests, and aspirations as a geologist.
Having earned a Geological Sciences in hydrology, with hands-on experience in water sciences. I am deeply
committed to advancing my understanding of the intricate interactions between hidden water reservoirs and
landscape erosion. The prospect of unraveling the complexities surrounding the storage, release, and
catastrophic erosion processes resonates with my passion for geomorphology and hydrogeology.
To develop methods for numerically modeling landscape erosion and sediment transport as influenced by
both surface and groundwater dynamics, a multifaceted approach is essential. Begin by integrating existing
numerical modeling tools, leveraging GIS for spatial analysis, and incorporating data on topography,
geology, and hydrology. Establish a comprehensive model that captures interactions between surface water
runoff, infiltration, subsurface flow, and groundwater discharge. Calibration against observed data and
sensitivity analyses should refine the model's accuracy. Due to the reason, is to predict the risk of future
catastrophic floods and associated erosion on a decadal timescale, factor in climate change projections,
land-use changes, and variations in precipitation patterns. Explore scenarios using the calibrated model to
simulate extreme weather events and assess their impact on erosion and sediment transport. This iterative
process combined with continuous refinement based on observed events, enhances the model's capability
to predict long-term risks, aiding in proactive flood management and erosion prevention strategies.

My academic experience and strength lie in data analysis, numerical analysis, and spatial analysis to extract
theoretical and field-based understanding of climate modeling. I have honed my skills the ability to think
critically and approach challenges from various angles is necessary when addressing complex questions
about groundwater quality and monitoring, fluvial process, floods, delta, drought, etc. During my
undergraduate study, I had exposure to working with spatial analysis, GPS, and different programming
languages including ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine, MATLAB, Python, etc. My master's thesis is titled
“Geomorphic Influence on the Flash Flood of the Transboundary Khowai River of Bangladesh”, which
allowed me to gain insights into the connections between extreme flood events and climate dynamics.
Besides, I carried out a project under BIRRI “Present and Future Precipitation Scenario of Bangladesh”.
That project assisted me in collaborating with big historical data and CMIP5 global climate models for
forecasting projected precipitation with Jupyter notebooks using advanced Python libraries. Currently, I am
enrolled as a “Junior Hydrologist” to study the project under the National River Conservation
Commission. My previous research experience provided valuable insights into the processes of surface and
groundwater development in response to changing climatic conditions and human activities.
IFPEN's reputation for cutting-edge research and innovative approaches to scientific challenges has long
been an inspiration to me. I am particularly drawn to the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of the
research environment at IFPEN, which I believe will provide the ideal platform for exploring the nuanced
dynamics of hidden water and landscape erosion.
I am enthusiastic about the possibility of joining the esteemed team at IFPEN and contributing to the
forefront of research on hidden water and landscape erosion.
Sincerely,
Jonahid Chakder