Emeritus Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
Roger Falconer is an internationally renowned expert in Hydro-Environmental Modelling 🌊 and Flood Risk Modelling 🌧️. He serves as Emeritus Professor of Water and Environmental Engineering at Cardiff University and holds professorial roles in leading Chinese institutions 🇨🇳. As a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering 🏅 and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, he has shaped water security strategies globally 🌍. With 7000+ Scopus citations and over 70 supervised PhDs, his contributions span academic, policy, and industrial applications in water systems, flooding, and tidal renewable energy ⚡.
Profile
Orcid
🎓 Education
Roger Falconer’s academic journey began with a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering from King’s College London 🎓, followed by a Master’s (MSCE) from the University of Washington 🇺🇸. He earned a PhD DIC from Imperial College London and later received prestigious higher doctorates: DEng from the University of Birmingham and DSc(Eng) from Imperial College London 📘. In 2022, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering by the University of Bradford in recognition of his distinguished engineering leadership 🏗️.
💼 Experience
Roger Falconer began his academic career as a Lecturer in Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Birmingham (1977–86), advancing to Professor of Environmental Hydraulics and Department Head at the University of Bradford (1986–97) 🏫. At Cardiff University, he served as Professor (1997–2018) and now holds the title of Emeritus Professor. Internationally, he has held honorary roles in leading Chinese universities and advised major institutions on hydro-environmental issues 🌐.
🔬 Research Interest
His research focuses on Hydro-Environmental Modelling, Flood Risk Modelling, Tidal Renewable Energy, and Global Water Security 🌐. Roger pioneered modelling tools such as DIVAST, a key engine in the widely used Flood Modeller software 💻. His models support over 100 global environmental impact assessments and are used by 60+ academic institutions worldwide 🌍. His recent work expands to tidal lagoons and barrages, helping shape sustainable water infrastructure for the future 🌊.
🏆 Awards
Roger Falconer is a Fellow of four prestigious academies, including the Royal Academy of Engineering (1997) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (2019) 🌟. He has received multiple honorary memberships and chaired the REF2014 Civil Engineering panel in the UK 🇬🇧. As a prolific speaker, he’s delivered 40+ keynotes and held lectures at 570+ institutions worldwide. His impact on water engineering has been recognized globally through awards, lectureships, and scientific advisory roles 🥇.
📚 Publications
Modelling and Forecasting Processes in Urban Environments (2025) – Hydrology
📑 Cited by: TBD
An Approach for IoT-Based Smart Sensors Placement (2025) – EGU
📑 Cited by: TBD
Monsoonal Extreme Rainfall in Southeast Asia: A Review (2024) – Water
📑 Cited by: TBD
Impact of West Somerset Lagoon on Water Renewal (2024) – EGU
📑 Cited by: TBD
The Influence of Open Boundary Location on Tidal Lagoon Modelling (2023) – EGU
📑 Cited by: TBD
Dynamic Tracing of Fecal Bacteria Using 2D/3D Models (2022) – River
📑 Cited by: TBD
A Unified Formula for Discharge Capacity of Street Inlets (2022) – Journal of Hydrology
📑 Cited by: 5+
Flood Risk Assessment of People and Vehicles (2022) – Science of The Total Environment
📑 Cited by: 10+
Water Security: Why We Need Global Solutions (2021) – Engineering
📑 Cited by: 25+
Tidal Energy Generation Schemes Using Genetic Algorithms (2021) – Applied Energy
📑 Cited by: 15+
Conclusion
Roger Falconer is highly deserving of the Best Researcher Award due to his remarkable contributions to hydro-environmental modelling, his substantial academic output, and his leadership within the field. His models and research have global relevance, especially in addressing complex issues related to water security and sustainable development. With continued collaboration in interdisciplinary fields, Falconer has the potential to influence future water management strategies and policies on a global scale.