Rate My Professor Wouter Buytaert

Wouter Buytaert is Professor in Hydrology and Water Resources and Director of the MSc in Hydrology and Water Resources Management in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, at Imperial College London. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from KU Leuven obtained in 2004, where he started his academic career. Buytaert joined Imperial College London in 2009 as Lecturer in Hydrology, later promoted to Reader and then Professor. His research lies at the interface between hydrological process understanding, water resources management, and global development, focusing on the impact of environmental change on the terrestrial water cycle and its consequences for managing water resources, flood and drought risks, particularly in data-scarce developing regions and mountain areas such as the Andean páramos. He promotes citizen science and participatory approaches to integrate local knowledge and improve hydrological monitoring.

Buytaert has amassed over 19,500 citations, an h-index of 68, and i10-index of 153 on Google Scholar, reflecting his substantial influence in hydrology. Key publications include 'Human impact on the hydrology of the Andean páramos' (Earth-Science Reviews, 2006), 'Climate change and mountain water resources: overview and recommendations for research, management and policy' (Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2011), 'Citizen science in hydrology and water resources: opportunities for knowledge generation, ecosystem service management, and sustainable development' (Frontiers in Earth Science, 2014), and 'Spatial and temporal rainfall variability in mountainous areas: A case study from the south Ecuadorian Andes' (Journal of Hydrology, 2006). He was awarded the European Geosciences Union Henry Darcy Medal in 2022 for advancing water resources management in poorly gauged regions. Buytaert leads major projects, including a $33 million Schmidt Sciences initiative on global freshwater availability (2026) and various NERC grants.