Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Thu, Apr 25, 2024 04:52 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Robert Wilby

Professor of Hydroclimatic Modelling, Loughborough University
My research is about the management of freshwater and built environments under climate variability and change. This spans reconstruction of drought and flood indices to assess the severity of recent extreme events through to detailed monitoring of river temperatures for ecological purposes. Time spent in the water industry, government, and consultancy has given me a very practical and pragmatic approach to this work.

Following secondments to the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado I co-developed the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM). This freely available climate scenario tool has underpinned many climate change risk assessments including for water supplies, fluvial floods, storm surge, air quality and urban heat island intensity in countries such as Canada, China, Morocco, Tajikistan and Yemen.

My latest research is exploring smarter approaches to climate risk assessment and decision making under deep uncertainty about the future climate. This shifts the focus onto better understanding then managing the climate vulnerability of human and natural systems. Recent projects include seasonal river flow forecasting for hydropower plants in Central Asia, modelling urban water and sanitation hazards in East Africa, and evaluation of extreme indoor temperatures in low income communities of Ghana.

'Natural' flood management would be overwhelmed by Britain's winter super-floods

Feb 25, 2020 13:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

As large swathes of the UK endure the worst floods in living memory, hearts and minds are rightly focused on protecting people and property. At one point the governments Environment Agency had issued a record 594 flood...

London to be as hot as Barcelona by 2050? I research urban heat, and I'm sceptical

Jul 12, 2019 09:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Barcelona just had a week of temperatures above 30℃. Its a few degrees hotter than the long-term average, but no heatwave. In winter, Spains second largest city is typically a mild 15℃ or so. With its climate regulated by...

Economy

The yen plunges to 34-year low despite interest rate hike

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years on March 19, bringing an era of negative interest rates to an end. The key rate was hiked from 0.1% to a band from zero to 0.1% a token effort...

The idea that US interest rates will stay higher for longer is probably wrong

The 0.4% rise in US consumer prices in March didnt look like headline news. It was the same as the February increase, and the year-on-year rise of 3.5% is still sharply down from 5% a year ago. All the same, this modest...

Impact of Iran-Israel conflict on Stocks, Gold and Bitcoin

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. The information provided is for general purposes only. No information, materials, services and other content provided on this page constitute a solicitation, recommendation,...

Japan Posts 7.7% Growth in Machinery Orders

In a striking development that looks set to invigorate Japans economic prospects, a key gauge of capital spending in the country has seen its most significant jump in over a year. According to Cabinet Office data released...

Why Africa can be the beating heart of South Korea’s technology industry

Tshepo Ncube, Head: International Coverage and Bhavtik Vallabhjee, Head: Power, Utilities Infrastructure at Absa CIB reflect on their recent visit to South Korea, examining why investors in the region have their eyes set...

Politics

US Commerce Secretary Asserts Huawei Chip Lag, Affirms Export Control Success

In an interview on CBS News 60 Minutes, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the latest Huawei Mate 60 Pro phones chip remains significantly behind U.S. technology despite being the most advanced from China. She...

The Alberta government is interfering in public sector bargaining on an unprecedented scale

In the coming months, over 200,000 public sector workers in Alberta will begin bargaining with their employers for new contracts. The most recent agreements expired in March and, after many years of high inflation and few...

Putin’s Russia: first arrests under new anti-LGBT laws mark new era of repression

Just over three decades after Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993, three people have been arrested and charged under the countrys harsh new anti-LGBT laws and could face ten years in prison for membership of an...

Nvidia RTX 4090D Embroiled in US-China Tech Rivalry; South Korea Navigates Chip Export Dilemma

The U.S. government has tightened export restrictions on high-performance semiconductor chips to China, including the Nvidia RTX 4090D, and is urging South Korea to enforce similar curbs, marking a significant escalation...

Canada needs a national strategy for homeless refugee claimants

One year after the federal government closed Roxham Road, refugee claims in Canada continue to increase: there were 143,785 in 2023 compared to 91,730 in 2022. The surprise announcement in March 2023 to modify Canadas...

Science

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

If life exists on Jupiter’s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it

Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an ocean world by scientists, observations to date strongly...

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

Technology

IBM Acquires HashiCorp, Giving Its Hybrid-Cloud Business a Boost

IBM, or the International Business Machines Corporation, announced it will buy the San Francisco-based software company HashiCorp on Wednesday, April 24. IBMs Strategic Acquisition IBMs acquisition of HashiCorp,...

Tesla Model 3 Performance Eligible for $7,500 Tax Credit, Launches at $53K

Tesla Inc. has unveiled a new $52,990 Performance model of its Model 3, eligible for full $7,500 federal EV tax credits. This introduces a more cost-effective option amidst Teslas current lineup. Teslas New $53K Model 3...

Critical Update: Samsung Expands Network Band Support in Europe – Update Now for Uninterrupted Access

This week, Samsung has launched a vital software update across European markets, targeting various devices, including the Galaxy S24 and Z Flip 5. This update is critical for maintaining network connectivity and accessing...

Shiba Inu's Burn Rate Surges 2200%, Fuels Bullish Sentiment and Speculation on Future Price Gains

Shiba Inu (SHIB), a well-known meme coin rumored to be the self-proclaimed Dogecoin killer, sparked unbridled jubilation among crypto market traders and investors today, as its burn rate increased by around 2200%. This...

Robinhood Unveils SHIB, AVAX, and COMP Listings for New York Traders, Expanding Crypto Access

Robinhood has expanded its cryptocurrency offerings to New York residents, now including popular tokens like Shiba Inu (SHIB), Avalanche (AVAX), and Compound (COMP), enhancing trading options on its platform. Robinhood...