Hirsa Taherimashhadi is an Environmental Planner and GIS Specialist with technical experience in environmental planning, environmental assessment, and climate risk analysis for municipal, provincial, and national projects. Her background includes a Master of Science in Environmental Planning and Management and Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Engineering, Environmental Studies, both from University of Tehran, Iran. She has supported environmental assessment studies for transportation, industrial, and municipal infrastructure initiatives in Iran, including road widening projects, steel production facilities, and developments adjacent to sensitive wetland environments. Her work spans policy and legislative research, baseline environmental analysis, and the preparation of technical documentation to inform land use planning and resource management decisions. Her background integrates advanced spatial analysis with environmental assessment practice. She has applied GIS and geostatistical modeling to support flood vulnerability assessment, including the development of a national flood vulnerability with University of Waterloo. She also has extensive experience building spatial data models, automating GIS workflows, and conducting land use, hydrological, and corridor analyses to inform environmental impact assessments and planning decisions.

Hirsa’s contributions include coordinating multidisciplinary technical inputs, preparing environmental reports and mitigation recommendations, conducting site visits to assess environmental constraints, and supporting public and stakeholder engagement through presentation materials and summaries of community feedback. Hirsa’s contributions further include GIS training, spatial data management, and the production of high quality maps and analytical outputs for environmental impact assessment and planning studies. Beyond her technical expertise, she is a dedicated naturalist, driven by a deep connection to the land and its biodiversity.