Planters International Berhad Appoints Gs. Dr. Alias Mohd Sood as Director, Strengthening Commitment to Forest Management and Geospatial Excellence
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gs. Dr. Alias Mohd Sood as a Director at Planters International Berhad. Dr. Alias brings a wealth of expertise in forestry and geospatial sciences, with a distinguished career spanning over four decades.
Gs. Dr. Alias Mohd Sood
Dr. Alias earned his Bachelor of Forestry Management from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1984, followed by a Master's in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in 1997. He further advanced his academic credentials with a Ph.D. in Geography, specializing in Land Use Analysis, from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2004.
Throughout his career, Dr. Alias has held pivotal roles in both governmental and academic institutions. He began his professional journey with the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, where he served in various capacities, including Head of the GIS Section. His tenure at the ASEAN Institute of Forest Management as a Remote Sensing Officer further solidified his expertise in applying geospatial technologies to forestry.
In academia, Dr. Alias served as a senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Faculty of Forestry, where he imparted knowledge on remote sensing and GIS applications in forestry. His research has been widely recognized, with 31 publications and an h-index of 11, reflecting his significant contributions to the field.
Dr. Alias's innovative work includes the development of models for identifying tree species based on lithology using GIS, hyperspectral remote sensing for mangrove inventory, and the creation of reporting systems like Peatwatch and Plantationwatch, which integrate ICT, GIS, GPS, and Google technologies for environmental monitoring.
His recent projects demonstrate a commitment to leveraging advanced technologies for environmental conservation. Notably, he has been involved in aerial inventory of fragmented forests using airborne hyperspectral imaging, a technique that enhances the precision of forest monitoring and management.
Using Remote Sensing, he accomplished forest inventory and mapping of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak as well as wild olive forest in Saudi Arabia. Currently he’s undertaking National Forest Inventory for Brunei using LiDAR and GeoSLAM.
Dr. Alias is an active member of several professional bodies, including life member of the Institute of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Malaysia (IGRSM), the Institute Rimbawan Malaysia (IRIM), and was also a member of the Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA).
At Planters International Berhad, Dr. Alias will play a crucial role in advancing our initiatives in forest conservation and environmental stewardship. His extensive experience in geospatial technologies and land use analysis will be instrumental in guiding our projects towards innovative and ecologically responsible outcomes.
We are confident that Dr. Alias's leadership will significantly enhance our capabilities in forest management and reinforce our commitment to sustainable forest restoration.
