Rate My Professor Olli Varis

Olli Varis is an Aalto Distinguished Professor of Water Resources Management in the Department of Built Environment at Aalto University School of Engineering. He received his doctoral degree in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology in 1991, a licentiate degree from the same institution in 1988, a Master's degree in Engineering and Technology in 1984, and a Master's degree in Agriculture and Forestry from the University of Helsinki in 1986. Varis joined Helsinki University of Technology, now part of Aalto University, as a researcher in 1983 and was appointed Professor of Water Resources Management in 2008. In 2015, he was named to the Matti Pursula Professorship, followed by his designation as Aalto Distinguished Professor in 2019. He served as Vice Dean for Research and Innovation in the School of Engineering from 2013 to 2018 and as an environmental expert Counsellor at the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland from 2006 to 2015. Additionally, he holds the title of Distinguished Adjunct Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and was Vice President of the International Water Resources Association from 2007 to 2009. Varis founded and leads the Water and Development Research Group at Aalto University and has directed the Sustainable Global Technologies Programme since 2007.

Varis's research focuses on sustainable development and water resources management in developing and emerging economies, with a particular emphasis on Asia. His work examines global water resources and their interrelations with agriculture, energy, climate change, urbanization, poverty, environment, and economic development. He has authored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles, cited approximately 3,000 times, and supervised 10 doctoral theses. Key publications include "Curb vast water use in central Asia" (2014), "China’s eight water risks" (2025), "Mapping world's coastal population facing water-related risks" (2026), and "Call for the mainstreaming of eutrophication in global water assessments and policies" (2026). Varis has contributed to numerous United Nations bodies, including UNESCO, and served in positions of trust at leading Asian universities such as the University of Hong Kong and the Southern University of Science and Technology in China. His expertise aligns with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation, climate action, and sustainable cities.