Programme and keynote speakers

Prof Hannah Cloke

Hannah is a hydrologist and physical geographer specializing in land surface modelling, flood forecasting, applications of Numerical Weather Predictions and catchment hydrology. Her current research focuses on the theoretical and practical development of early warning systems for natural hazards, particularly for floods and droughts and disaster risk management. [read more=”Read more about Hannah Cloke” less=”Read less”] She is an elected fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Meteorological Society. She works closely with the Environment Agency, the UK Met Office, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) as well as a wide range of other national and international partners. Hannah advises government on national and international flooding incidents and provides expert commentary in the media. Hannah is currently a member of the of the Environment Agency Long Term Investment Scenarios Advisory Group and the Environment Agency-DEFRA R&D flood science programme advisory group. Hannah is Executive editor of Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. She also sits on the NERC Peer Review Panel B, is a member of the HEPEX project and a committee member of the EGU Hydrology Catchment hydrology section. In January 2015 Hannah was awarded the NERC Early Career Impact Award and was runner up in the Guardian University Awards for impact 2016. Hannah obtained a BSc (1999) and PhD (2003) in Geography from the University of Bristol. She then worked as a Research Associate at the European Commission Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, working on the European Flood Alert System and then from 2004 lectured at in the Department of Geography at King’s College London. In 2012 she moved to the University of Reading; to a joint post between the Department of Geography and Environmental Science and the Department of Meteorology, where she is now Professor of Hydrology and Co-Director of Water@Reading.[/read]

Dr Matthew Bethune

Matthew has been with the Murray Darling Basin Authority since 2006. Matthew combines a range of experiences in policy, hydrological modelling and practical water management. His current role is the Director of the Water Resources Group. [read more=”Read more about Matthew Bethune” less=”Read less”] The Water Resources Group provides modelling support and technical advice to inform policy and management decisions in the Murray Darling Basin. While at the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Matthew has supported a range of initiatives, including research partnerships, improving the delivery of environmental water, water resource planning and implementation of a daily model for the River Murray system. During this period, Matthew was seconded to the eWater CRC for a three year period to lead the development of the Source modelling platform. Prior to joining the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Matthew worked with the Primary Industries Research Victoria, leading and implementing research into balancing agricultural productivity, water savings, groundwater management and environmental outcomes.[/read]

Dr Jayasuriya is the General Manager Public Safety at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. His portfolio covers services for all natural hazards affecting the Australian community ranging from Thunderstorm driven Asthma, Flooding, Bushfires to Tropical Cyclones, Tsunami and Storm Surge. [read more=”Read more about Dr Jayasuriya” less=”Read less”] From August 2011 to April 2013, Jaya was a member of the Bureau’s Executive team and acted as Deputy Director of the Climate and Water Division. In this role, Jaya was responsible for the Improving Water Information Program, a 10 year, $450 million Australian Government initiative to monitor, assess and forecast the availability, condition and use of Australia’s water resources. An engineer by profession, Jaya joined the Bureau in 2009 after working for Melbourne Water Corporation and the private sector for 25 years. With a PhD from Monash University in Hydrology and Water Resources, Jaya is widely experienced working internationally and nationally with Commonwealth, state and local government agencies, water utilities, environmental groups and primary producers. Jaya is actively involved in a number of World Meteorology Organisation (WMO) and international initiatives that deliver mutual benefit. He is one of six members of the Expert Group established by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to advise the global community on Climate, Water and Food Security. International experiences include working in Vietnam for the World Bank on disaster risk reduction and building early warning systems, water forecasting capacity building in India, ADB funded water security projects in Thailand and working with the irrigation and disaster management sectors in Sri Lanka.[/read]

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