Abdul Ganiu Tanko
MS Student
University of New Mexico
Bio:
Abdul Ganiu Tanko is a Master’s student in Community and Regional Planning at the University of New Mexico, concentrating in Natural Resource and Environmental Planning. His research focuses on watershed management, water resource resilience, environmental justice, and GIS-based spatial analysis to support Indigenous and rural communities. He is currently working with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie on watershed planning initiatives in the Navajo Nation, integrating spatial modeling and community-based approaches to strengthen climate resilience.
Originally from Ghana, Abdul holds a Bachelor of Science in Development Planning from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He is a corporate member of the Ghana Institute of Planners and an active member of the American Planning Association. He also serves as a Commissioner for the City of Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission. He has received multiple academic honors, including the New Mexico Research Grant, ARID Interdisciplinary Community-Engaged Research Research Grant and the CRS Graduate Fellowship. Beyond academia, Abdul enjoys playing soccer, volunteering in community initiatives, and mentoring students interested in environmental planning.
