This 'History of Hydrology Interviews' started in 2018 as a companion to History of Hydrology sessions at EGU General Assemblies with the goal of interviewing John Dalton or Henry Darcy EGU medallists. The channel has evolved to also host interviews with other distinguished hydrologists as part of the the 'History of Hydrology' Working Group of the International Association of Hydrologists (IAHS). All of the interviews serve as an audiovisual recording of the history of hydrology. To upload new interviews or to make new interviews, you are welcome to discuss with okke.batelaan@flinders.edu.au
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor András Bárdossy of the Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, Dept. of Hydrology and Geohydrology, University of Stuttgart, Germany. He is interviewed by Professor Erwin Zehe from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, July 2nd, 2025. The original YouTube video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeaBdcaKlqc Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Petra Döll, Professor of Hydrology at the Institute of Physical Geography at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. She is interviewed by Professor Okke Batelaan, Frankfurt am Main, July 4, 2025. The original Youtube video can be found here . Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Sten Bergström, who retired in 2017 from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Sweden. He is interviewed by Professor Berit Arheimer from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Norrköping, Sweden, 28 Oct. 2025. The original Youtube video can be found here . Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Recording and facilities by Olivia Larsson, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute payed for time and facilitaties with performing the interview. Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Emeritus Wolfgang Kinzelbach of ETH Zürich, Switzerland. He is interviewed by Professor Okke Batelaan in Davos, September 8, 2024. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:14 Introduction by Okke Batelaan 0:01:20 Youth and background; father’s influence 0:03:45 High school and university studies in physics 0:04:53 Start of professional career; random walk; Stanford University 0:08:47 Mathematics teacher in Nigeria 0:10:22 PhD in Karlsruhe 0:12:58 Research in Beijing at the Institute of Environmental Chemistry 0:16:02 Return to Germany; start of groundwater career; chlorinated hydrocarbons and nitrate 0:25:20 Development of groundwater modelling tools 0:30:29 Overseas collaborations; Okavango, Botswana 0:37:47 Heidelberg tracers 0:40:02 Move to ETH; turbulence; agriculture and water 0:49:28 World food crises 0:53:05 Philosophy on life and work 0:55:04 Reflections on career and colleagues 0:58:33 Changes in academia over time 1:02:05 Future of hydrogeology 1:07:47 Teaching and supervision 1:09:17 Support from colleagues; work–life balance 1:11:55 How he would like to be remembered 1:14:07 Final words of wisdom for future scientists 1:16:50 Closure 1:17:26 End License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
An interview in the series of History of Hydrology, serving as an audiovisual record of the history of hydrology. This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Berit Arheimer of the Swedish Hydrological and Meteorological Institute. She is interviewed by Professor Keith Beven, Lancaster, July 13, 2023. Warning: poor audio quality! I tried to fix it but I only made it worse, so this audio is the original Youtube audio. If you happen to be an audio expert and you know a way to improve it, please let me know at pauwiersma@outlook.com. The original Youtube video can be found here . License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Peter Young of Lancaster University. He is interviewed by Professor Keith Beven in Lancaster, November 7, 2023. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:30 Introduction by Keith Beven 0:01:26 Family background, apprenticeship in aeronautics, and path to a PhD in Cambridge 0:07:20 PhD in automatic control 0:09:50 Research stay in the USA (1968–1970) 0:11:11 Return to Cambridge, lectureship, first work on the environment 0:16:28 Professorial fellowship at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, ANU 0:21:52 Peel Inlet (WA) study on algae 0:27:40 Northern Territory study on uranium mines 0:29:52 Work with Tom Beer on tracer models and dead zones 0:31:36 Development of the CAPTAIN package 0:34:09 Sabbatical in Cambridge; move to Lancaster in 1981 0:37:08 Meeting Keith Beven; move to Lancaster and work on tracer studies 0:41:18 Continuation of CAPTAIN in MATLAB 0:47:11 Transfer functions and data-based mechanistic modelling philosophy 0:51:13 Identifying non-linearity in data-based mechanistic models 0:59:29 Awards License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Alberto Montanari of the University of Bologna. Alberto was the 2018 Henry Darcy medallist of the EGU. He is interviewed by Professor Keith Beven at the IUGG-IAHS General Assembly, Berlin, July 14, 2023. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:33 Introduction by Keith Beven 0:00:52 Background and interest in water 0:02:23 PhD at Politecnico di Milano with Renzo Rosso 0:05:12 A life in athletics 0:06:00 Renzo Rosso as a supervisor 0:07:46 Introduction to stochastic hydrology 0:08:47 Influential hydrologists 0:10:41 Member of the major risk committee of Italy 0:12:59 Risk communication in climate change 0:16:02 Resilience and the value of historical data 0:19:28 Service to the hydrological community 0:21:48 Editor-in-Chief of Water Resources Research and collaboration networks 0:23:42 Comments on the Panta Rhei hydrological decade 0:25:38 Awards 0:26:58 Commitment to open science 0:29:00 Closure License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Andrea Rinaldo of EPFL and Università di Padova. Andrea was the 2005 John Dalton medallist of the EGU and the 2023 Stockholm Water Prize laureate. He is interviewed by Professor Keith Beven at EPFL, Switzerland, March 1, 2023. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:30 Introduction by Keith Beven 0:01:16 Family background; 1966 Venice flood; studying Hydraulic Engineering in Padua 0:05:18 PhD at Purdue University (USA) 0:09:28 Return to Italy and University of Padua 0:12:00 Appointed Full Professor at Trento at age 30 0:13:37 First encounter with Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe 0:16:17 Ignacio’s influence on Italian hydrology 0:17:39 Collaboration with Ignacio at MIT and Iowa 0:18:58 Meeting Jack Kennedy in Iowa 0:20:33 Geomorphological Unit Hydrograph; Scale Problems meeting in Caracas 0:21:54 First WRR paper with Alessandro Marani on catchment-scale solute transport 0:24:33 Fractal river basins book 0:26:34 Summer schools at Venice Academy of Sciences and Arts; Per Bak and self-organised criticality 0:30:33 Meeting Luna Leopold; river networks; minimum energy dissipation 0:38:15 Serendipity in research; ecohydrology of networks; biological invasions and biodiversity models 0:43:05 EPFL and ERC grant 0:45:40 Zebra mussels in the Mississippi 0:48:22 Network-conditioned disease propagation 0:50:20 Predicting cholera in Hawaii 0:57:44 Predicting COVID spread in Italy 0:59:29 Residence times of water in catchments 1:02:36 Working with younger researchers 1:04:20 Awards 1:06:21 Playing rugby for Italy 1:11:25 Why hydrology is exciting 1:12:27 Closure 1:12:42 Stockholm Water Prize License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Demetris Koutsoyiannis of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece. Demetris was the 2009 Henry Darcy medallist of the EGU. He is interviewed by Dr Antonis Koussis of the National Observatory of Athens, Greece at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 11 April, 2019. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:22 Introduction by Antonis Koussis 0:00:54 The beginning; a video of the village of Demetris can be seen at: Μεσούντα - Φαράγγι Φάγγου πτήση - Mesounta. From 1:50, the stream with the steep banks and the old bridge are adjacent to his family house. 0:09:16 Move to Athens, adjustment, Greece dictatorship, high school 0:14:53 Events at Athens Polytechnic in 1973 (student uprising against the dictatorship). Additional material available online. 0:17:37 Study Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic 0:22:44 Early work experiences after study 0:24:45 Research in hydrology, PhD studies 0:27:43 Path to academia and key milestones 0:31:30 Working with Zbigniew Kundzewicz, editing Hydrological Sciences Journal 0:33:40 Relationship between stochastics and physics 0:43:36 Climate change: going against the current 0:51:55 Thinking and philosophy 0:57:18 Collaboration and working with others 0:59:45 Interest in Karl Popper’s philosophy 1:02:44 Direction of hydrology, major challenges, advice for young hydrologists 1:05:56 Closure License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Zbigniew Kundzewicz from the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, and Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland. He is interviewed by Dr. Mikołaj Piniewski of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland at the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland, 29 May, 2019. The original YouTube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:22 Introduction by Mikołaj Piniewski 0:02:40 Youth and background 0:04:08 Studies at the Warsaw University of Technology 0:06:36 PhD at the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences 0:08:02 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship at the University of Karlsruhe 0:12:23 The Tison Award 0:13:06 Unsolved problems in hydrology 0:16:14 Work at the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment of the Polish Academy of Sciences 0:18:46 Interest in climate change 0:22:56 Work for the IPCC 0:26:56 Most important achievement 0:29:13 Paper in Science in 2008 0:33:29 “Climate change and water” IPCC report 0:35:48 The Hydrological Sciences Journal editorship 0:41:02 In which direction does hydrology go 0:46:56 Growth of Chinese science 0:51:01 Family 0:55:06 Message to the young generation of hydrologists License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Leszek Szymański, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Dr. Mikołaj Piniewski, Warsaw University of Life Sciences; Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This episode features Professor Thomas Dunne (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA), interviewed by Professor Keith Beven (Lancaster University, UK) at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 11 April 2019. The original Youtube video can be found here . Timestamps: 0:00:00 Start 0:00:22 Introduction by Keith Beven 0:01:28 Going back to the beginning 0:04:25 Cambridge and Johns Hopkins University 0:08:24 PhD supervisor: Reds Wolman 0:09:44 Fieldwork in Vermont 0:19:07 Saturation-excess overland flow 0:23:06 Contact with John Hewlett; non-point source pollution 0:31:23 After Vermont: work in Kenya 0:45:25 McGill University; University of Washington 0:49:27 University of California, Santa Barbara 0:54:36 Working with Luna Leopold 1:03:18 Being lucky with events 1:07:45 Debris flow close to home 1:10:42 Work in the Amazon 1:15:52 Working with graduate students on paper reviews 1:20:09 Closure License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video and editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Huub Savenije from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. Huub was the 2008 Henry Darcy medallist of the EGU. He is interviewed by Professor Okke Batelaan of Flinders University, Australia at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 11 April, 2019. The original Youtube video can be found here . 0:00:00 Start 0:00:22 Introduction by Okke Batelaan 0:01:00 Youth and background 0:02:53 Choosing civil engineering studies Delft 0:04:56 Inspirer Prof. Adriaan Volker at Delft 0:07:56 Math teacher 0:09:51 Working and living in Mozambique 0:16:00 Working for Euroconsult all over the world 0:18:05 IHE Delft 1990, PhD 1992 0:21:45 Teaching crown-prince Willem Alexander 0:24:56 TU Delft 1999, Chair in Hydrology 2004 0:26:28 Highlights and achievements in last 20 years 0:30:11 Teaching and supervision of students 0:31:06 On doing measurements 0:33:30 Awards and scientific impact 0:37:19 Passion, disappointments, collaborations 0:43:13 Retirement 0:44:27 Legacy 0:48:46 Future of hydrology? Go to the field! 0:50:08 Closure Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
History of Hydrology interview with Dr. John Rodda. Content: • The Water Data Unit • Institute of Hydrology • IAHS • WMO • UNESCO The interview took place in Wallingford, UK on July 9th 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . Interviewer Professor Keith Beven Podcast: Pau Wiersma
History of Hydrology interview with Dr. John Sutcliffe Content: • Hydrology of the Sudd and Jonglei Canal • The Institute of Hydrology and Flood Studies Report • Nash and Sutcliffe (1970) • Harald Hursh • Back to the Jonglei Canal after 60 years The interview took place in Goring, UK on July 9th 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . Interviewer Professor Keith Beven Podcast: Pau Wiersma
History of Hydrology interview with Dr Christine McCulloch on the foundation of the Institute of Hydrology, memories of Jim McCulloch as Director of the Institute of Hydrology, and research on the impacts of dams. The interview took place in Turcot Tower on July 9th 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . Interviewer: Professor Keith Beven Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Eric Wood from Princeton University, USA, who was the 2007 John Dalton medallist. He is interviewed by Professor Siva Sivapalan of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 13 April, 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . 00:00:22 Introduction 00:01:31 Undergrad, postgrad, PhD 00:05:21 1976 paper leading to Horton award 00:06:45 Move to IIASA Vienna 00:10:19 Move to Princeton 00:12:03 First sabbatical IH 00:13:17 Processes-simple models-scaling 00:15:40 Transition to remote sensing 00:19:03 Collaboration with Dennis Lettenmaier 00:22:21 Students 00:29:51 Methods used 00:31:14 Direction of research over career 00:34:03 What was the driver of research? 00:36:14 Collaboration - networking 00:38:03 Family - work pressure 00:42:16 Key influences, mentors 00:45:39 Research culture 00:50:14 Milestones 00:52:37 New science coming through? 00:53:47 Future leaders - directions? 00:59:57 Reflection on hydrology and enjoyment brought 01:01:00 What advice to early career scientists 01:02:21 Closing remarks Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Georgia Destouni from Stockholms universitet, Sweden, who was the 2013 Henry Darcy medallist. She is interviewed by Dr Zahra Kalantari of Stockholms universitet, Sweden at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 13 April, 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . 0:00:22 Introduction by Zahra Kalantari 0:01:18 Childhood 0:02:09 Career journey and highlights 0:05:32 Major contribution to water science 0:07:07 Most important open questions 0:10:26 What would you do differently? 0:12:31 Work most proud of 0:14:41 How has hydrology changed? 0:17:39 Future of hydrology 0:18:31 View on world water crises 0:24:19 What is your main driving force? 0:25:53 What learnt from iteraction with other scientists 0:26:52 Recognition 0:28:59 Life philosophy 0:29:53 Who at dinner party? 0:37:50 How do you want to be remembered? 0:38:46 What keeps you motivated? 0:40:03 Advise to future scientists 0:41:22 Closing remarksLicensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments:Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Keith J. Beven from Lancaster University, UK, who was the 2001 John Dalton medallist. He is interviewed by Professor Okke Batelaan of Flinders University, Australia at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 11 April, 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . 00:00:22 Introduction by Okke Batelaan 00:01:03 Interest in hydrology, Undergrad Bristol 00:06:33 Undergrad project - first model 00:08:33 PhD University of East Anglia 00:16:56 What keeps you going? 00:19:16 1974-1977 Research fellow at Leeds 00:24:48 TOPMODEL paper 00:26:36 First period at IH 00:32:00 University of Virginia 00:36:12 Second spell at IH 00:40:02 Move to Lancaster 1985 00:43:15 Achievements at Lancaster 00:47:45 Looking back at GLUE 00:51:45 Awards 00:54:12 Secret behind success 00:57:37 Disappointments 00:58:40 Collaborations 01:00:00 Working with students 01:01:10 Plans for the future 01:03:41 Greatest legacy 01:04:55 What would you do different, if would start again? 01:06:41 Future of hydrology? 01:10:28 Closure Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This History of Hydrology interview features Professor Mike Kirkby from the University of Leeds, UK, who was the 2008 John Dalton medallist. He is interviewed by Professor Keith Beven of Lancaster University, UK at the Austria Center, Vienna, Austria, 11 April, 2018. The original Youtube video can be found here . 00:00:22 Introduction by Keith Beven 00:01:10 Undergrad Cambridge 00:05:02 PhD project 00:10:57 Postdoc in States 00:15:43 Move to Bristol 1967 00:19:58 Move to Leeds 1973 00:21:54 Beven to Bristol - TOPMODEL 00:24:00 Published books 00:29:07 EU projects, from small to large scale 00:38:03 Awards 00:39:37 What about the future? Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Okke Batelaan, Frankie Films Sponsorship: Professor Okke Batelaan, Flinders University, Australia Podcast: Pau Wiersma
This first History of Hydrology interview features Professor Siva Sivapalan from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, who was the 2003 John Dalton medallist. He is interviewed by Dr Ross Woods of the University of Bristol, UK at the Vienna University of Technology, Austria, 10 April, 2018. You can find the original video recording on Youtube here . 00:00:21 Introduction 00:01:50 Childhood and youth 00:02:51 Siva’s parents 00:03:36 High school 00:05:56 University in Sri Lanka 00:07:00 Choosing a Masters course at AIT 00:08:53 Initial impressions of hydrology 00:10:42 Memories of AIT, Nigeria, PhD applications 00:21:26 How Siva met his wife Banu 00:24:05 Transition to living in the USA 00:28:15 PhD at Princeton 00:32:52 Move to Australia 00:39:14 Supervision style 00:42:01 PUB - Predictions in Ungauged Basins 00:50:51 Move to the USA 00:52:44 Concept development vs methods 00:55:18 Cutting a path through the jungle 00:57:04 Sources of motivation 00:58:58 Leadership style 01:00:38 Networking 01:02:31 Juggling work and home commitments 01:05:32 Cricket as a metaphor 01:08:18 Personal network 01:10:30 Influential people 01:15:21 Scientific heroes 01:17:19 Planning vs Circumstance 01:20:04 Would you do anything differently? 01:21:29 Dealing with failure 01:22:28 Attributes of our research culture 01:24:24 Happiest moments 01:26:04 Advice for young hydrologists 01:27:42 What needs to be done in hydrology 01:31:42 Closing remarks Licensed under Creative Commons copyright CC- BY-NC-ND 4.0 Acknowledgments: Video & editing: Alfred Zacharias. Sponsorship: Professor Guenter Blöschl, TU Vienna, Austria. Podcast: Pau Wiersma
