Climate and weather program approaches full strength

New HDR candidates and ARC-funded researchers are expanding the BNHRC’s climate and weather capability, with work spanning extreme rainfall, flooding, drought and nature-based solutions.

AI image via Adobe Stock / TheWaterMeloonProjec

Earlier cohorts of climate Master's students, such as Sylvia Wang, had the chance to talk about their work at the 20206 AMOS conference

Higher Degree Research students funded via the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) grant reflect the breadth and international character of the Centre’s research community.

Candidates from Australia, Europe, South Asia, East Asia and West Asia will be working on topics from flood modelling to artificial intelligence, nature-based solutions, and drought risk.

Among the new MPhil students enrolled in 2026, Erin Barr is studying extreme rainfall and flooding linked to stalling extratropical cyclones and how these are represented in climate models.

Yajat Goswami is exploring how artificial intelligence, hydrology and foundation models can strengthen flood preparedness, while Shrija Guragain is assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions in reducing flood hazards.

Meanwhile Jonathan Van Leeuwen is investigating the relationship between flash drought and bushfire, thanks to additional DECRA funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

The four new students bring the Master’s cohort to 10, signifying a full complement based at UNSW’s Climate Change Research Centre.

Flash flood research starts to flow

Masters student Patrick Wilcox, also from an earlier cohort, presenting at AMOS

At the same time, the Centre’s major ARC Linkage project, ‘Connecting changing sub-daily precipitation extremes to flash floods’, is gathering momentum. There are now two PhD students on board, with recruitment continuing for a postdoctoral role.

The project will combine observations and high-resolution climate model simulations to better understand historic and future changes in short-duration rainfall extremes along eastern Australia, helping quantify future flood risk in one of the country’s most densely populated regions.

PhD candidate Budhi Kosasih is examining the reliability of the NARCliM2.0 regional climate model for sub-daily continuous flood modelling, building on previous hydrology experience from Indonesia’s national flood management work.

And PhD candidate Yixing ('Ethan') Zang is investigating how climate change is influencing flash flooding, using hydrodynamic modelling to better understand flood risk under changing patterns of extreme precipitation.

This growing body of work at the BNHRC highlights the value of diverse disciplinary backgrounds and new perspectives in tackling natural hazard challenges, supporting improved decision-making in a changing climate.