The Hydrology Group researches the role and behaviour of water in the environment and the ways in which these respond to environmental change, past present and future. We are particularly engaged in research on global- and national- scale flood risk and drought modelling, dryland hydro-climatology, and on the biogeochemical function, nature and origins of contaminant fluxes and ecological impacts on freshwaters, estuaries and the coastal zone.

Water research at the university involves a diverse community of researchers spanning the faculties of Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, Humanities and more. We come together as an interdisciplinary water community within the Cabot Institute for the Environment, Water Theme. Currently, members of our group are Associate Directors of the Cabot Institute and co-lead the Cabot Water Theme.

We strive to be a global knowledge hub generating the evidence base for water-related decision making in a changing and uncertain world and are expanding our regional research network through the GW4 Water Security Alliance (200+ water research academic staff sharing facilities and training) which hosts two doctoral training programmes in water research: the GW4 NERC FRESH CDT (and the EPSRC WiSE CDT), and many more of our students are funded through the NERC GW4+ DTP, by industry, via our research programmes and through international studentship funding. Members of our group lead the FRESH CDT and the GW4 WSA for Bristol.

Research in the Hydrology group is multifaceted and follows four broad themes: flooding and flood risk (Flood Lab Group); dryland hydroclimatology and Earth surface processes (Dryland Research Group); aquatic biogeochemistry (Aquatic and Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Group); and droughts and floods (Hydroclimatic Extremes Group).  Our research is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and tackles global environmental challenges. Each of these themes is led by an academic member of staff but the Hydrology Group as a whole meet frequently for seminars and discussions led by our diverse group of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.