Dr Jessica Penny
Job: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Employer: University of Exeter
PhD Thesis: Impact of land-use changes on hydrological regimes
PhD Supervisors: Professor Slobodan Djordjevic and Professor Albert Chen
Background
Jess has just been appointed as Research Fellow in the University of Exeter’s Centre for Water Systems, to work on the Horizon Europe project.
Jess successfully defended her PhD thesis on “Impact of land-use changes on hydrological regimes” on 5th April 2023. Jess was a PhD student on the WISE CDT programme, where she was based at the University of Exeter and was supervised by Professors Slobodan Djordjevic and Albert Chen. Jess also worked with Slobodan on the ENRICH (Enhancing Resilience to future Hydro-meteorological extremes in the Mun river basin in Northeast of Thailand) research project.
Jess researched Land Use Change Models, with the view to model historical, current and future land-use and changes. She investigated changes in agricultural development and urban growth, and how this affects hydro-meteorological extremes, specifically extreme droughts.
Prior to joining WISE, Jess graduated from Cardiff University with a BSc (Hons) in Marine Geography. Her final year dissertation was etitled: ‘A comparison of the UK December 2013 – February 2014 storm characteristics’. Jess then went on to complete an MSc in Water Engineering at the University of Exeter. Her Master’s dissertation was entitled ‘The use of the WCA2D model to analyse the current and future Pluvial flood risk to the London catchment of Wallington.’
Currently in her second year, Jess is working with Prof Slobodan Djordjevic alongside the ENRICH (Enhancing Resilience to future Hydro-meteorological extremes in the Mun river basin in Northeast of Thailand) research project.
Jess is currently researching Land Use Change Models, with the view to model historical, current and future land-use and changes. In particular, she will be investigating changes in agricultural development and urban growth, and how this will affect hydro-meteorological extremes, specifically extreme droughts. Her ultimate goal is to develop vulnerability and risk maps for drought for the Mun River basin. With the potential to provide adaption strategies for drought risk reduction management in the basin.
Research Interests
- Interactions between the hydrosphere and atmosphere, especially when related to extreme drought & flooding hazards
- Future Urban landscapes and associated hazards
- Agricultural development and Urban expansion impacts on the hydrological regime
- Socio-economic adaption for future drought conditions
- SUDs (Sustainable urban Drainage systems)
- Smart Water Sensitive Cities & Water management.
