Dr Wouter Knoben
Job: Research Associate
Employer: University of Saskatchewan
PhD Thesis: Investigating conceptual model structure uncertainty: progress in large-sample comparative hydrology
PhD Supervisors: Dr Ross Woods and Professor Jim Freer
Abstract
Wouter’s research uses large datasets and extensive computer sampling to investigate several integral assumptions of hydrological research. His work covers both understanding of the natural world and improving our ability to abstractly think about the natural world through the use of computer models. One of the main drivers of hydrology is the climate: the interplay between water (precipitation) and energy (temperature, evaporation) availability has a strong influence on river flow. Recently, Wouter has investigated the seasonal patterns in rainfall and the connection between climatic patterns and flow regimes, both on a global scale. The findings of these studies contribute to greater understanding of the natural world, and will play an important role in addressing various challenges, such as the so-called “prediction in ungauged basins” problem: estimating the amount of river flow and thus water availability for locations where measurements are scarce or non-existent. These locations are plentiful across the world, especially in developing countries where accurate estimates of water availability can be critical. Wouter’s future work is in co-operation with the University of Melbourne and deals with our ability to model hydrological processes that occur in the landscape. Hydrological modelling is an active but fragmented field, which has resulted in an abundance of available models of various types. His work involves a large-scale comparison of available models of the lumped conceptual type, which investigates the inner workings of these models and whether general lessons can be learned about which of these models work where and why. The results of this study have the potential to influence hydrological modelling philosophy and can be of practical use for many researchers working on hydrological problems.
Biography
Before starting work on his PhD at the University of Bristol, Wouter obtained a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Water Engineering & Management from the University of Twente, Netherlands. Both his Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis were well-received, the first being in co-operation with the Dutch engineering consultancy firm HKV Lijn in Water (flood safety of the Dutch river delta) and the second in co-operation with the Polish Institute of Geophysics (making a hydrological model climate-change proof). He was active as a student representative within the WISE programme and for the American Geophysical Union, Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee. Wouter’s work has been presented at various global conferences and he has been actively involved in organizing sessions and workshops during these conferences.
Following the successful completion of his PhD, Wouter moved to Canada to become a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Saskatchewan in Canmore, where he works 
with one of the leading experts in hydrological modelling as part of the Global Water Futures Program.
Research interests: global hydrology, large scale studies, data analysis, computer modelling.
View Wouter’s Google Scholar and ResearchGate profiles for more information.
