Water & Development Research Group - a multi- and interdisciplinary research group

Water & Development Research Group - a multi- and interdisciplinary research group

Water & Development Research Group - a multi- and interdisciplinary research group

Water & Development Research Group - a multi- and interdisciplinary research group

Water & Development Research Group - a multi- and interdisciplinary research group

People

WDRG is a unique research group with multidisciplinary approach. Our research group is a combination of professors, post-docs and doctoral students with various backgrounds. For more information and detailed publication list, please click the personal links in People page and visit Aalto People site.

Research group leaders

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Olli Varis

Distinguished Professor | D.Sc. (Tech)

Governance | Water security | Business innovations

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Matti Kummu

Professor | D.Sc. (Tech)

Food | Climate change | Modelling

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Marko Keskinen

Associate Professor | D.Sc. (Tech)

Sustainability | Governance | Integration

University lecturers, staff scientists, and academic coordinators

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Matleena Muhonen

Academic Coordinator (M.Sc.)

Landscape architecture | Sustainability

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Mika Jalava

Staff scientist (D.Sc. Tech)

Food security | Modeling | Water resources

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Maija Taka

Academic Coordinator, researcher (Ph.D.)

Doctoral education | Research Groups | Urban runoff

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Mia Pihlajamäki

Academic Coordinator (Ph.D.)

Marine and water governance | Environmental policy

Post-doctoral researchers

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Josias Láng-Ritter

Water Resources | Flood Risk | Artificial Intelligence

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Kirsi Hakio

Transformative creative practices | Inner and outer change | Sustainability transformation

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Alexandra Malmström

Governance | Sustainability | Climate risks

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Saeed Karimzadeh

Climate–water interactions | Sustainable agriculture | Data-driven environmental modeling

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Anni Juvakoski

Water, sanitation, and hygiene | Crisis preparedness | Low- and middle-income areas

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Oleksii Tomin

Critical water infrastructure | Resilience in armed conflict | Protection of water utilities

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Mirjami Lantto Klein

Catchment planning | Hydro-ontologies | Critical geoscience

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Anita Poturalska

Catchment-based planning | Participatory mapping | Human-river relationship planning

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Ashvath Kunadi

Critical Zone Hydrology | Boundary Layer Meteorology | Climate Science

Amy Fallon

Water governance | Resilience and complexity | International development

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Lena Reimann

Population dynamics | Social vulnerability | Climate impacts

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Maria Yli-Heikkilä

Crop production | Climate change | Satellite remote sensing

Doctoral researchers

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Julia Sundman

Engineering education | Problem-based learning | Sustainability pedagogy

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Qiankun Niu

Food security | Climate change | Land use

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Sofija Djukanovic

Drinking water | Natural organic matter

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Vilma Ristikangas

Water governance | Resilience | Policy implementation

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Anna Vilhunen

Doctoral education and superivision | Pedagogy | Inclusive education

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Xin Chen

Water risks | Future scenarios | Africa

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Thomas Banafa

Governance | Water security

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Anup Shrestha

Disaster Risk Management | Flood Modelling | Hydrology

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Essi Huotari

Sustainability transformation | Knowledge co-creation | Science-society interfaces

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Venla Isomäki

Water governance | Sustainability transformations | Multispecies justice

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Bhattarabhop Viriyaroj

M.SC. (TECH)

Global Food Systems | Archetype Analysis

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Lagundaridze Mariam

M.SC. (TECH)

Engineering Education | Teaching and Learning Practices

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Sara Heikonen

Agriculture | Climate change

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Sina Masoumzadeh Sayyar

Asset Management | Wastewater networks

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Jeroen Poelert

Food Systems | Agroecology | Water management

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Dané Smith

Water Diplomacy | Transboundary Water Governance | Peacebuilding

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Tiia Westerberg

Environmental governance | Interdisciplinary thinking | Knowledge production

Research affiliates and visiting researchers (current and past)

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Irina Mancheva

Water governance | Environmental policy | Policy implementation

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Daniel Chrisendo

PH.D.

Food Economics | Food Systems | Gender Equality | Rural Development

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Marko Kallio

Watersecurity | Rural livelihoods | Modelling

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Juho Haapala

Governance | Policy making

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Meeri Karvinen

University lecturer (D.Sc. Tech)

Sustainability education | University pedagogy

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Anne Hyvärinen

Business innovations | Water security | Trade

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Suvi Sojamo

Governance | Water security | Policy making

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Ozias Hounkpatin

Soil conservation | Nutrient management | Food

WDRG Alumni

Xiaoqi Feng, Doctoral researcher -2025
Johannes Piipponen, Doctoral researcher -2024
Dandan Zhao, Post-doctoral researcher -2024
Vili Virkki, Doctoral researcher -2024
Venla Niva, Post-doctoral researcher -2024
Vilma Sandström, Post-doctoral researcher -2024
Lauri Ahopelto, Doctoral researcher -2024
Miina Porkka, Post-doctoral researcher -2023
Matias Heino, Post-doctoral researcher -2023
Pekka Kinnunen, Doctoral researcher -2022
Amy Fallon, Doctoral researcher -2022
Anna Chrysafi, Post-doctoral researcher -2021
Alexander Horton, Post-doctoral researcher -2021
Laura Verbrugge, Post-doctoral researcher -2021
Jialiang Cai, Post-doctoral researcher -2021
Elina Lehikoinen, Doctoral researcher -2020
Hafsa Munia, Doctoral researcher -2020
Joseph Guillaume, Post-doctoral Researcher -2019
Timo Räsänen, Post-doctoral researcher -2017
Mirja Kattelus, Doctoral researcher -2017
Aura Salmivaara, Doctoral researcher -2015
Shokhrukh Jalilov, Post-doc researcher -2015
Muhammad Mizanur Rahaman, Post-doctoral Researcher -2013
Virpi Stucki, Doctoral researcher -2011
Ulla Heinonen, Doctoral researcher -2009