Professor Albert Chen

Exeter scientist appointed as NERC Constructing a Digital Environment Senior Expert

Prof Albert Chen at the Centre for Water Systems (CWS) has been appointed as a UK Senior Expert in the NERC Digital Environment Expert Network, as a part of NERC/UKRI Constructing a Digital Environment (CDE) Programme. 

The CDE Programme aims to develop thinking and practice around a ‘digitally enabled environment’, providing benefits for policy makers, businesses, communities and individuals. 

Professor Chen is specialised in Water, Human and Environment studies. His research career started with computer modelling of urban floods and he is always enthusiastic in building digital solutions to improve the understanding and management of water environment. 

He has created a series of modelling tools to advance scientific knowledge on the interrelationships between different phenomena, services, and consequences related to water, human, and environment.

The outputs have helped risk communications among stakeholders and citizens to reach consensus on flood mitigation measure and decision making. 

Professor Chen said: "My vision is unleashing the power of hydroinformatics that enables efficient and effective interventions systematically strengthening the resilience of human and environment to the impacts of water-related hazards, for both the present and the future climate scenarios.”

Professor Chen is currently co-leading the Policy Action Group in the European Commission’s ICT4Water Cluster to review existing challenges and to identify the advantages and opportunities of integrated ICT applications within water sector. 

The outcomes will contribute to shaping policy recommendations at super-national, national, and local levels to facilitate the uptake of digital solutions.  

Date: 27 May 2021