Research Facilities

The Environmental Laboratory is well equipped with instruments and chemicals needed for regular practical classes of undergraduate and post-graduate students of the department on different environmental parameters of soil, air and water. Research student and faculty members also use this lab to carry out their advanced research activities on various environmental issues. There are good number of portable Kits for quick testing of different environmental parameters (pH, salinity, TDS, DO, etc.) in the field. The lab also has the facilities of Spectrophotometer, air quality analyzer and water distillation plant. Prof. Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir is the in-charge of this environmental lab.

The Cartography Laboratory (CL) is one of the oldest labs of the department, which is well equipped with instruments needed for geomantic survey and for various cartography works related to develop practical classes of the students. The lab has the facilities of automatic level survey, total station survey, LASER distance measurement survey, and DRONE survey. The CL of Dhaka University is the only geography lab in Bangladesh having such DRONE survey facility. The lab also includes a good number of old historic maps, portable GPS, the soft and hard copy of Toposheets of entire Bangladesh, traditional survey equipment, such as paintable, chain and tape, and many cartographic devices. At present Dr. Md. Faruk Hossain is in-charge of this Cartography Lab.

Unlike other labs, the Urban Studio of the department is a research stations for the students having their interest on various urban issues. This hub is also used for practical classes of the students of urban stream of the department. Established in 2012, the objectives of this studio are to initiate and promote scientific research on urban and urban environmental issues and problems, and to provide training in the field of urban and urban environmental studies, planning, development, and management. The Urban Studio organizes seminars and symposia occasionally for the students and faculty members by various national and international experts in the field of urbanization and development. At present Prof. Dr. M. Maksudur Rahman is the in-charge of the Studio.

The GIS Laboratory is one of the pioneer GIS Labs in Bangladesh. The lab is equipped with more than 50 GIS work stations facilitated by very powerful and upgraded computes. The lab has the facilities for a number of GIS software, including upgraded version of ArcGIS (license copies). The lab is now under process to upgrade to Web based GIS supports and ArcGIS Pro. The lab provides pleasant environment for regular GIS classes of the department from 1st year to the fourth year, and also for Post-graduate research students. From this lab, Profession Certificate Course on GIS and its Application are occasionally offered for interested persons within or outside the department. At present, Professor Dr. Md. Serajul Islam is the in-charge of this GIS lab.

Remote Sensing Laboratory is a newly established (since 2021) lab in the department, which was previously integrated with GIS laboratory. The lab is equipped with a total number of 40 high-configuration computers capable of operating remote sensing tasks smoothly. It is furnished with the latest RS as well as GIS software, such as Erdas Imagine, ArcMap, Q-GIS, iDesktopX, etc. Within a few months after establishment, beside routine practical classes, the lab has now turned into a center of excellence for conducting research on geospatial and environmental issues. With an aim to work beyond the tradition, the lab has been signed a MoU with SuperMap. The students are now facilitating with advanced software for Big Data Analysis, 3D Analysis, Augmented Reality, etc. along with traditional geospatial analysis. The lab has a research cluster to conduct regular research activities on potential geospatial fields. Dr. Asib Ahmed is the in-charge of this RS lab.

The Disaster Research Training & Management (DRTMC) at University of Dhaka was established in 1989 to contribute to such information and knowledge creation and archiving requirements. By being an interdisciplinary forum for research into the causes of disaster, the needs created by different disaster, the appropriate response strategies, the effect of the short and the long term disaster upon population, economics and environments and overall managements strategies for different types of disaster the Centre has become an important research focal point. This Center undertakes provides an array of training and extension programs in disaster management, mitigation, rehabilitation and reconstruction. DRTMC has recently published the 23rd edition of Duryogbarta.

The Physical Geography Laboratory (PGL) is especially dedicated to conduct practical classes of various issues of Physical Geography and Environment. The lab is well equipped with instruments required for analyzing the physical properties of soil and water samples, properties of rocks and minerals, drainage morphometry, flood frequency, and microfossils. The PGL is well equipped a good number of binocular and stereomicroscopes required for microfossil study. It is the only lab in the Geography Departments of Bangladesh having full supports for foraminifera, pollen, and diatom studies. The lab also include various types of instruments, such as augurs, drilling equipment, laser distance meter, measuring wheel, slope meters, river survey equipment, such as water samplers and Van Veen grab samplers. Moreover, based on this laboratory supports, the department runs a research hub-Coastal Research Unit (CRU), a specialized research unit on coastal environment and physical oceanography. At present Prof. Dr. M. Shahidul Islam is the in-charge of the lab and team leader of CRU. The aim of this unit is to conduct research on various coast issues and nearshore  environment, arrange meeting, organize seminar,  publish newsletter and disseminate knowledge on coastal issues.