Francis Chiew

Dr Francis Chiew has more than 20 years’ experience in research, teaching and consulting in hydroclimate and water resources, and in science leadership and research and project management. Francis joined CSIRO as a Science Leader in Canberra in 2006, after a 15-year academic career at the University of Melbourne. In the past ten years, Francis has led about 30 hydrologists working on water resources assessment, forecasting and prediction and climate change adaptation, in projects totalling more than AUD$5m per year.

Francis is highly regarded internationally for his research on hydroclimate, hydrological modelling, climate and land use impact on water, and integrated basin management. He has received various awards and published over 250 papers, and his research is widely adopted and cited (9000 Google Scholar citations and h-index of 50). The research that Francis and his team does contributes to global development in hydrological sciences, and has a direct path to impact guiding water resources planning and adaptation in Australia and globally.

Francis is a member of several global and national water expert committees including lead author of the IPCC AR5 Assessment Report. Francis is also active in converting research outcomes into modelling tools and guidelines for the water industry. More recently, Francis has led high impact climate and water modelling initiatives and water resources assessments in Australia, and collaborative hydroclimate projects in South Asia, China and South America.