Understanding and managing the risk of water-related diseases under hydrometeorological extremes
Regional rates of infection with water related diseases are – though not exclusively – highly dependent on hydrological conditions. These are varying due to climate change, with greater extremes. Improved hydrological modelling can help with predicting future infection risks, as well as near-term outbreaks to assist health departments. In this seminar, Simon will present results and insights from the NERC funded UnderWRiDE programme, where researchers from Imperial College and Universiti Putra Malaysia focused on the water-related disease leptospirosis. Working with state health departments, they used a variety of statistical techniques to model as well as attempt to predict infection risks based on hydrological, other environmental, and socio-economic factors. In the last phase of the project, low-cost water level sensors, developed in-house by the project’s PI, were deployed at various leptospirosis hot spot sites for continuous participatory monitoring. The talk will conclude with a discussion of citizen science in hydrology more broadly.
Event Type: In-Person Event
Date: 07 March 2023 (Tuesday)
Time: 16:00 – 17:00 GMT*
Venue: School of Geography and the Environment
Register for the event here.
* This event will be followed by an informal chat over Tea/Drinks for another hour.
Speaker Profile
Dr Simon De Stercke
Simon De Stercke is a postdoc in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering section of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Imperial College London. His research has been focusing on the intersection between hydrology and epidemiology, and he also works on research impact evaluation. Simon received his PhD for studying the water-energy nexuses of Mumbai and London from an end-use perspective, using system dynamics. Before coming to Imperial College London, Simon worked at IIASA (the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis). He holds degrees in electromechanical engineering and environmental management.
This event is hosted by the Oxford Water Network. This event is part of the OWN Hilary Term 2023 Seminar Series on “Water and Health in a Changing Climate”. Look out for the upcoming seminars on the links between climate change and environmental antimicrobial resistance transmission, safe sanitation, and water-borne disease.
