Dr Talib Butt

Assistant Professor

School: Architecture and Built Environment

Dr Talib E. Butt is a Senior Lecturer (in environment, engineering & management) at the Northumbria University. His career covers both the construction/built and the natural environment. His multi- and inter-disciplinary studies, research and professional practice span over three decades, with work-experiences in the private/commercial, industrial, consultancy, public/government, voluntary and academic sectors. Predominantly, his career is in the risk assessment field, addressing both, natural and anthropogenic hazards. Climate change and sustainability are cross-cutting themes of his career in both, academe and practice; and yet involving all the five spheres of the ‘total’ environment, including: lithosphere (land/soil), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), biosphere (human and other life) and technosphere/anthroposphere (human influences and developments).

Qualifications

His PhD is in environmental risk assessment and computer-aided environmental modelling. He also holds an MSc in Sustainable Waste Management which particularly includes environmental management implications. His first degree, BEng(Hons), is in mechanical engineering. He has obtained memberships with professional bodies (in the UK and abroad) in multi- and inter-disciplinary fields of environment, engineering, water, construction, management, built environment, waste and education. These include: C.Build E, MCIOB, MCIWEM, LCIWM, FCABE, AFHEA, ASET, PE(PEC), GradIEMA, and AMIMechE.

Teaching, Research and Enterprise/External Engagement

He induces internationalisation along each of the three aforesaid functions. He was nominated for the Best Lecturer category at the University of Exeter (Russell Group) for his teaching to under- and post-graduate students, where he is still a visiting scholar/lecturer. He has been an external adviser to national as well as international universities on various degree programmes and research-works (e.g. SEGi University in Malaysia, University of Punjab). He is a fellow at the Leeds Sustainability Institute and a scientific committee member of SEEDS (Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society).

His research mainly regards design, development and application of holistic frameworks/systems around various facets of the environment, sustainability, and climate change. He has been a peer-reviewer for top quartile journals, research proposals and international conferences. Also, his work is regularly published and presented at international conferences and symposiums. He has years of experience of supervising and guiding both under- and post-graduate/PhD students, and also successfully motivating them to produce publications.

He has expertise and experience of delivering consultancy/advice to various organisations in industry and commerce, and government bodies like Environment Agency, city and district councils. His enterprise/external engagement activities involve wide-ranging, diverse, national and international stakeholders from numerous sectors. He has secured > £100k as a principal investigator and yet another > £100k as co-investigator from different national and international research funding bodies.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A computer-aided method for optimizing solar power tower – the case of Syrian desert, Hatem, A., Hussain, S., Butt, T. 15 Jan 2026, In: Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy
Biological and pharmacological activities, phytochemical profile, and ecological sustainability aspects of Cichorium intybus: An account of knowledge gaps and existing approaches, Azad, A., Hussain, S., Akram, H., Fida, H., Butt, T. 1 Mar 2026, In: Pharmacological Research - Natural Products
Energy Performance of Existing Buildings and Retrospective BIM Application, Makinde, O., Anyigor, K., Raheem, H., Samwinga, V., Butt, T. 8 Apr 2026, In: Next Research
Evaluating Business Reporting through the Lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Masanpally, M., Bhattacharjee, T., Hussain, S., Butt, T. 28 Mar 2026, In: Next Research
Organisational memory in project-based firms: development of an ontology framework model, Olayinka, O., Bouazza, T., Olayinka, B., Butt, T. 29 Jan 2026, In: International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies
The Design and Validation of a Decision Support System (DSS) for the Preliminary Risk Assessment of Brownfield Sites (PRABS), Mahammedi, C., Mahdjoubi, L., Booth, C., Butt, T., Al-Mhdawi, M. 7 Apr 2026, In: Smart and Sustainable Built Environment
The Significance of Unifying Non-Integrated Information on Contaminated Land and Risks, Brotherton, J., Hussain, S., Deary, M., Mahammedi, C., Beal, C., Butt, T. Feb 2026, In: Environmental Management
An innovative performance assessment approach of ESG-(environment, social and governance) related risk management, Masanpally, M., Bhattacharjee, T., Butt, T. 8 Sep 2025, In: Journal of Accounting Literature
BIM in retrospect for the existing built environment – Challenges and Implications, Sivashanmugam, S., Abdel Salam, H., Makinde, O., Khawanky, J., Smith, K., Maqbool, R., Cookson, M., Davidson, K., Anyigor, K., Gerges, M., Lodhi, M., Butt, T. 3 Oct 2025, In: International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation
Discrepancy in regulatory provisions and practices – the design of public buildings in Lahore, Pakistan, Ali, M., Anjum, G., Mayo, S., Weirs, J., Islam, H., Butt, T. 1 Nov 2025, Decarbonization or Demise – Sustainable Solutions for Resilient Communities, Cham, Switzerland, Springer

Current and Recent Projects

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Green growth skills, Watson, R. (Principal Investigator), Butt, T. (Co Investigator), North of Tyne Combined Authority, 01/04/23 - 31/03/26, £463,160.00

PGR Supervision

Oluwaseun Adegoroye Enhancing Construction Worker Safety via a Digitally Automated pre-Task Checklist Mechanism Integrated with e-Wearable Safety Gear (DApTSShape). Start Date: 01/02/2026
Ahmed Saad Business Developer’s Role in the Relationship Between the Public and Private Sectors: Physical and Construction-Related Development Projects Start Date: 01/03/2024 End Date: 17/10/2025
Ahmed Saad A Guidance Framework for the Entrepreneurial Business Developer Intermediary (EBDI): Public–Private Sector Relationships in Mega-Scale Development and Construction Projects Start Date: 01/03/2024