Research Themes

The Hydro-Climate Monitoring and Prediction Research Laboratory addresses complex challenges at the intersection of water, climate, and infrastructure. Its research is directed toward developing science-based and practical solutions for water-resources management, disaster-risk reduction, resilience enhancement, and informed planning and decision-making.

The Laboratory’s research programme is organised around five principal themes:
 

Resilience and Sustainable Development

This theme focuses on strengthening the ability of water, urban, and infrastructure systems to withstand hazards, disruptions, and uncertainty. Research areas include risk management, infrastructure and asset resilience, sustainable urban drainage, low-impact development, and pathways toward long-term sustainability.
 

Integrated Water Resources Management

Research in this area examines water-resource systems within a coordinated and integrated framework, taking into account the relationships among water sources, competing demands, environmental requirements, and stakeholders. Key topics include virtual water, environmental flows, and the development of analytical tools for integrated planning and management.
 

Water–Food–Energy Nexus

This theme explores the interdependencies among water supply and use, food production, and energy systems, as well as the cross-sectoral consequences of policy and operational decisions. Research focuses on integrated nexus modelling, resource management under water-scarcity conditions, and the sustainable use of conventional and non-conventional water resources.
 

Climate Change and Atmospheric Sciences

Research in this field investigates climate variability and change and their effects on hydrological processes, water resources, and urban systems. Key topics include drought, flooding, hydrological uncertainty, sediment transport, dust storms, environmental flows, and climate-change impacts at the river-basin scale.
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Infrastructure Planning and Management

This theme addresses the assessment, planning, and sustainable management of water-related infrastructure, including water-distribution networks, wastewater-collection systems, and urban drainage networks. Core areas of work include asset management, risk analysis, performance assessment, demand management, and infrastructure resilience.