This talk provides an overview of research that seeks to understand how water quantity and quality respond to climate and other drivers of change. Such hydrological knowledge is imperative to unravel interacting processes, to assess uncertainties in space-time projections, and to develop sustainable water policies and adaptation strategies for the betterment of ecosystems and society in a changing world.

About the Speaker

David M. Hannah is Professor of Hydrology, UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences, and inaugural Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action at the University of Birmingham. He was included in Reuters list of the world’s top climate scientists. In 2019, he became a Royal Society Wolfson Fellow. His long-term vision is to understand water cycle processes, hydrological events (flood, drought) and water-related impacts under climate and other drivers of change. He promotes knowledge exchange to communicate the importance of water and climate science for society – often facilitated by his UNESCO Chair’s ‘network of networks’ at the science-policy interface. He has authored reports underpinning the RIDE/ LWEC Climate Change Impacts Report Card for Water for decision-makers; his work has been included in three IPCC reports; and he gives policy advice to UK water industry, NGOs, Scottish Government, overseas government agencies, and water sector regulators on climate change adaptation. He fronted the Birmingham Heroes media campaign on “The Water Crisis”. These activities demonstrate his strong commitment to research that matters in the real-world.

Water in a changing environment: too much, too little, too hot