Developing hydro-economic models to support water resources management options in a poverty alleviation context

Career overview

Wouter Buytaert works at the interface between hydrological process understanding, water resources management, and global development. He focuses on studying the impact of environmental change on the terrestrial water cycle and its consequences for managing water resources and flood and drought risk. He applies and develops advanced methods for data collection, computer simulation, and knowledge transfer to support environmental decision making and development policies. He works extensively in the Global South, particularly in mountain regions such as the Andes and the Himalayas. Wouter manages a large and diverse portfolio of research projects funded by public and private sources, including the UKRI research councils and the European Commission. Recent project foci include climate change adaptation in glacierized river basins (RAHU, Deplete), community-based flood resilience (LandslideEVO), smart sensor networks for water quality monitoring (SMARTWATER), and urban water management for public health (CLARITY). He is an editor of the EGU journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences and Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Earth Science. Wouter receives frequent invitations to speak at international conferences and meetings, both in academic and policy contexts, and collaborates extensively with policymakers, including the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrology Programme. In 2022, he received the Darcy medal of the European Geosciences Union for his outstanding scientific contributions to water resources research and water resources engineering and management. Wouter graduated with a combined MEng/MSc in Environmental Engineering from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in 2000 and obtained a PhD from the same university in 2004. He joined Imperial College London in 2009 after positions at Lancaster University and the University of Bristol.

Research interests

Professor Wouter Buytaert''s research operates at the intersection of hydrological process understanding, water resources management, and global development. He specifically studies the impact of environmental change on the terrestrial water cycle and its implications for managing water resources, as well as flood and drought risk. His work involves the application and development of advanced methods for data collection, computer simulation, and knowledge transfer to aid environmental decision-making and development policies. He has a strong focus on research in the Global South, particularly in mountain regions such as the Andes and the Himalayas. Professor Buytaert manages a diverse portfolio of research projects funded by both public and private sources, including the UKRI research councils and the European Commission. Recent project themes include climate change adaptation in glacierized river basins, community-based flood resilience, smart sensor networks for water quality monitoring, and urban water management for public health. He is actively involved in editorial roles for the EGU journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences and serves as Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Earth Science. His expertise is frequently sought in international conferences and policy discussions, collaborating with policymakers such as those in the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrology Programme. In recognition of his significant contributions to water resources research and management, he received the Darcy medal from the European Geosciences Union in 2022.