Arif is a climatologist and PhD candidate studying the links between drought, fire weather, and wildfire risk in Indonesia. His research combines climate observations, modelling, geospatial analysis, remote sensing and machine learning to better understand and predict fire risk and support practical fire management.
Arif has spent much of his career at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), working across meteorological observations, weather forecasting, climate analysis, and environmental monitoring. His fire research began during his Master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts, USA, where he investigated GIS-based forest fire risk in Central Kalimantan. He later contributed to the NASA AERONET project in Central Kalimantan as a site manager, supporting atmospheric observations and aerosol characterization in a peatland fire-prone region. His research has also included measurements of atmospheric CO₂ and carbon emissions from peatland fires. He was the first author of research using weather radar to investigate the planetary boundary layer and smoke layer associated with peatland fires in Central Kalimantan.
These experiences have shaped his research interest in the links between climate, atmosphere, and fire, and in developing practical adaptation and fire-management strategies for Indonesia’s fire-prone regions. Outside research, Arif enjoys spending time with his family, exploring Melbourne and discovering new places.