HEPEX through the Alabama Water Institute Podcast Series

In March 2025, the Alabama Water Institute (AWI) and CIROH hosted the 20th anniversary of HEPEX, a milestone event that brought together scientists, practitioners and decision-makers from around the world to reflect on two decades of progress in ensemble hydrological prediction.

As part of this celebration, the Research Institute Communications team at AWI recorded a special HEPEX podcast series featuring conversations with three long-time contributors to the HEPEX community: Ilias Pechlivanidis, Rob Hartman and Martyn Clark. Together, these episodes highlight the past, present, and future of ensemble prediction systems and their growing role in supporting more resilient water management and disaster preparedness.

🎙️ Understanding HEPEX: A Global Collaboration to Improve Hydrologic Forecasting (Episode 23)

Guest: Ilias Pechlivanidis, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

In this opening episode, Ilias introduces the HEPEX community; a global network of researchers and practitioners advancing hydrological ensemble prediction and its application in real-world decisions. He explains how HEPEX fosters collaboration across scales and disciplines, helping bridge research and operations to make forecasts more actionable and user-oriented.

🎙️ Lessons from a Lifetime in Flood and Water Supply Management (Episode 24)

Guest: Rob Hartman, Consulting Hydrologist and former Hydrologist-in-Charge at the NWS California–Nevada River Forecast Center

Drawing on 35 years of experience in federal flood and water supply forecasting, Rob reflects on how ensemble prediction has transformed operational hydrology. He discusses his involvement in the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations project and how forecasts are now directly influencing reservoir management and flood-risk decisions across the United States.

🎙️ From Models to Action: Predicting Where Water Will Flow (Episode 25)

Guest: Martyn Clark, University of Calgary

Martyn shares his perspective on the evolution of hydrologic modeling, from early conceptual models to today’s advanced, process-based and hybrid frameworks. He discusses how model development is intertwined with ensemble prediction and emphasizes the importance of integrating scientific excellence with real-world applications to turn forecasts into decisions that matter.

💡 Why These Conversations Matter

The HEPEX podcast series captures the essence of the community: connecting people and ideas to improve predictions and their societal value. Through these personal reflections, listeners gain insights into how hydrological ensemble forecasting has evolved, where it is heading, and how global collaboration continues to shape its future.

🎧 Listen to the podcasts on Apple/iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and iHeart. And do not forget to subscribe to the Alabama Water Institute to stay updated on future episodes.