Wouter Buytaert is a renowned hydrologist and professor of Hydrology and Water Resources at Imperial College London, affiliated to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment.

His research focuses on environmental change and its impact on the water cycle, with a specific focus on managing water resources and mitigating flood and drought risks – particularly in the Andes and Himalayas regions. Throughout his career, Wouter Buytaert has published numerous research papers and articles, contributing significantly to the scientific community’s understanding of hydrology and water-related challenges. His work enhances the connection between science and policy, equipping policymakers and water resource managers in climate and water vulnerable regions with pivotal decision-support tools.

In addition, Wouter serves as an editor of the EGU journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences and acts as the Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Earth Science. In 2022, Wouter received the prestigious Darcy medal of the European Geosciences Union, reflecting his outstanding scientific achievements in the field of water resources research and management. Furthermore, he is part of the UNESCO IHP writing team for the World Water Development Report, and supports IHP in the promotion of open science and knowledge co-production in water management.