Professor Richard Williams
- Professor of River Science (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
telephone:
01413304788
email:
Richard.Williams@glasgow.ac.uk
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, East Quadrangle Room 510, G12 8QQ
Biography
I am Director of Research in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences. I facilitate a research environment that enables our students and staff to undertake distinct research, often interdisciplinary and international, to address the world’s most important geographical and environmental challenges. Our School’s research engages with the public and generates impact, often related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
I co-create and lead large, international, interdisciplinary environmental research projects that aim to understand and mitigate anthropogenic impacts on river systems. Project PAMANA will provide a holistic understanding of the legacy, present and future environmental and ecological impacts of mining on Philippine river systems. The Philippine Catchment Project has quantified national-scale river mobility, generated new geodatabases on catchment characteristics, and modelled the impact of landscape change on flood risk. These projects support, and have supported, the development of many Early Career Researchers to use machine learning, analyse geospatial big data, and interpret associated patterns and insights. They have also led to national-scale policy briefings and the incorporation of a nature-based geomorphic approach to river management.
In the United Kingdom, I am a co-investigator of the NERC Strategic Programme GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation. My role is to direct numerical modelling to assess how climate change, and nature-based and geo-engineering solutions would impact flood risk along the River Clyde. I have also previously led projects that have investigated the impact of hydropower schemes on river dynamics (with SEPA and NatureScot), assessed the risk of river erosion to water and sewage pipeline crossings (with Scottish Water) and assessed change in physical habitat from river restoration (with Tweed Forum). These projects have changed river management practices. For over a decade, I have been leading field-based monitoring projects using novel geospatial techniques (progressing from ground-based laser scanning, to UAV photogrammetry, to UAV laser scanning) that assess the geomorphological evolution of (i) six upland river restoration schemes and (ii) the rewilding of a braided river.
My field and remote-sensing observations of rivers primarily focus upon the Philippines, New Zealand, Scotland, northern England, Indonesia and Canada. Field highlights, with local partners, include an eight-month campaign quantifying the morphodynamics of the braided Rees River (New Zealand), assessing the geomorphological and geochemical consequences of the Mt Polley tailings dam failure (British Columbia, Canada), mapping the impacts of a large landslide on the Dart River (New Zealand), and exploring the interaction between landscape change, anthropogenic management and flood risk on the Bislak River (Luzon, the Philippines), and evaluating the environmental impacts of small- and large-scale mining on the River Ambalanga (the Philippines).
I serve the academic and professional river science community through a variety of roles. I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environment’s (CIWEM) accreditation board for university degree, continued professional development, and professional development schemes. I am also a member of NERC’s peer review college. I have previously (to 2023) served as Secretary for the British Society of Geomorphology.
Research interests
My primary research focuses on sustainable riverscape management. I use the term riverscape because rivers are connected to their landscape and are thus intrinsically intertwined with the locations and dynamics of sediment, people, infrastructure and ecology. Riverscapes are one of the most biologically rich and threatened ecosystems on Earth, yet are also a source of peril through their conveyance of floodwaters and contaminants, and their role in eroding and depositing sediment. Through teaching, mentoring and supervision I aim to build the capacity of river scientists, students and management practitioners to improve the health of the world’s rivers whilst mitigating the consequences of natural hazards.
I have led the application of a variety of ground-, air- and space-based sensors to quantify river flows and landscape change. Recent research has focused upon generating reach- to catchment-scale repeat topographic surveys to enable the calibration and assessment of hydraulic and morphodynamic numerical models. I have also led research that has pioneered the use of archival satellite imagery to quantify national-scale river dynamics. I also use a variety of interdisciplinary techniques to gather data on riverscapes, including historical archives and citizen science. Since a significant proportion of my research takes places in a development context, I have also conducted research on capacity building to enable reflective and adaptable knowledge co-production.
I supervise a diverse range of masters by research and doctoral students, who are passionate about rivers. Research topics of ongoing and recent students include: river restoration and rewilding; landslide dynamics; rivers and vegetation; tropical rivers; natural flood risk management; quantifying flood dynamics; distributive fluvial systems; more-than-human encounters with rivers; and satellite remote sensing. Studentship funding sources include NERC, ESRC, China Scholarship Council, British Council, Department of Science and Technology (Philippines), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (Nigeria), Lord Kelvin Adam Smith (Glasgow), and self-funding.
Career
Richard has an undergraduate degree in Geography, from the University of Cambridge, and a masters degree, in Science of the Environment, from Lancaster University. After his masters, Richard worked for four years at JBA Consulting, an environmental consultancy, where he undertook research and applied projects for the UK Government, private developers, and the insurance and reinsurance industries. Richard moved to Aberystwyth University in 2009 to work as a Research Assistant on the NERC funded ReesScan Project; he was based in New Zealand for an eight-month field campaign and a subsequent six-month visit to NIWA and the University of Canterbury and Auckland. At this time he also commenced his doctoral work on modelling braided river dynamics, cumulating in a PhD in 2014. Richard was appointed to a lectureship at Aberystwyth University in 2013. He moved to a lectureship at the University of Glasgow in 2015 and was promoted to Professor in 2022. Richard undertook a six-month industrial secondment to CBEC eco-engineering in 2016-7 and was an international visiting scholar at the University of Auckland in 2019.
Richard is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).
Grants
PI = Principal Investigator; Co-I = Co-Investigator
Research grants
NERC and DOST (Department of Science and Technology, Philippines). £2.15M. 2021-25. PAMANA: Philippine mining at the national to catchment scale. PI.
EPSRC/GCRF. £113k. 2022-23. Reconfiguring Philippine river management. PI.
NERC. £10M. 2022-27. GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation - Delivering a Climate Resilient City through City-University Partnership), NERC Strategic Programme Grant. Co-I.
CREW. £102k. 2021. Sediment continuity through run-of-river hydro schemes. PI.
NERC and DOST. £50k. 2021. Philippine Mining at the National to Catchment Scale: from Legacy Impacts to Sustainable Futures. PI.
NERC. £216k. 2019-22. Sounding out the river: a new system for monitoring bedload mobilisation and transport. Co-I.
NERC. £40k. 2019-21. Sediment cascades: integrating hazards & mitigation strategies. Philippines hydrometeorological hazards integration project. PI.
British Council. £75k. 2020-24. Nature-based river and flood risk management in the Philippines. PhD supervisor of project.
SFC GCRF. £37k. 2019-20. Training in nature based river management solutions: learning, practicing and evaluatings. PI.
NERC and DOST. £639k. 2018-21. Catchment susceptibility to hydrometeorological events: sediment flux & geomorphic change as drivers of flood risk in the Philippines. PI.
Carnegie Trust. £10k. 2018-20. Braided river geomorphic unit assemblage: synthesising global datasets. PI.
NERC CASE Studentship. £94k. 2018-22. Assessing the geomorphological effectiveness of river restoration using multi-stage channels (with partner SEPA). PI.
SFC GCRF. £33k. 2017-18. River channel change in the Philippines. PI.
SFC GCRF. £47k. 2017-8. Visualising Violence in Malawi. Co-I.
NERC ODA Fund. £28k. 2017. River instability and infrastructure in Indonesia and the Philippines. PI.
CREW. £214k. 2017-2019. National Coastal Change Assessment 2: Enhancing the evidence base and our ability to adapt. Co-I.
SAGES+. £3k. 2017. Postdoctor and Early Career Researcher Exchange – Development of a Geomorphic Unit Toolbox, vist to Utah State University. PI.
University of Glasgow. £20k. 2017-8. MSc(Res) studentship: Braided river morphodynamics. 2017-8. PI.
NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility. £3k (commercial equivalent). 2017. Verification of wearable laser scanning systems for fluvial topographic surveys. PI.
NERC. £90k. 2017. Decision support framework to incorporate river bank stability in pipeline crossing risk assessment. PI.
NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility. £3k (commercial equivalent). 2017. Multi-scale landslide susceptibility assessment. PI.
Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Secondment. £27k. 2016-17. Engineering river freedom for resilience, with CBEC. PI.
University of Glasgow, Energy Fund. £7k. 2016-19. Assessing the impact of small high head ‘run-of-river’ hydropower on river geomorphology and habitat. PI.
NERC. £52k. 2014-15. Quantifying the Delivery & Dispersal of Landslide-Derived Sediment to the Dart River, New Zealand. Co-I.
Strategic Insight Programme (SIP): £2,500. 2014-15. Placement with Prof Rob Lamb (JBA Trust): Two-dimensional flow modelling to analyse river bar reworking. PI.
British Society for Geomorphology Early Career Researcher Grant. £4k. 2014-15. Quantifying sedimentological, geomorphic and habitat adjustment following river restoration. PI.
Discretionary Research Fund, Department for Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University: £1,200. Alluvial Fans Conference, Christchurch. 2015. PI
Aberystwyth University MPhil Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship. £20k. 2014-15. Development of low-cost approaches to monitor river restoration schemes. PI.
Aberystwyth University MSc Access to Masters Scholarship. £10k. 2014-15. Flood monitoring using low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles. PI.
Royal Geographical Society 30th International Geographical Congress Award: £750. Funding to attend Gravel Bed River Conference, Japan. September 2015. PI.
British Society for Geomorphology, Full Member Research Project: £940. Reconstructing the Kea Point glacier lake outburst flood, Southern Alps, New Zealand. 2014. Co-I.
Discretionary Research Fund, Department for Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University: £425. 2013. British Society for Geomorphology Annual Conference. PI.
Discretionary Research Fund, Department for Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University: £250. 2013. 8th International Association of Geomorphologists Conference on Geomorphology. PI.
Teaching grants
Learning and Teaching Development Fund, University of Glasgow: £2k. 2017. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in fieldwork teaching and learning. PI.
Climate Change Consortium for Wales. £18k. 2014. “Little River”: simulating climate change impacts on flooding, sediment transport and river channel change. PI.
Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, Aberystwyth University. £2k. 2014-15. Is the sky the limit?: Increasing student engagement and learning through novel aerial monitoring of natural riverine landscapes. PI.
Supervision
- Daniels, Lucy
Implications of river restoration for geomorphic diversity and flood risk - Kerr, Heather
Spatial variability in meander characteristics - Norris, Neve
Spatial variability in meander characteristics, a modern study - Suprayogi, Andri
Assessment of flood extent dynamics using multi-sensor Synthetic Aperture Radar: the Pekalongan Area, Indonesia - Tolentino, Pamela
Towards sustainable and nature-based flood risk management in the Philippines
Previous research associates
Name | Current position |
---|---|
Dr Richard Boothroyd | University of Liverpool |
Dr Octria Prasajo | University of Glasgow |
Dr Douglas Mitchell | Sustrans |
Dr George Maniatis | University of Brighton |
Dr Lizzie Dingle | University of Durham |
Graduated research students
Name | Date graduated | Degree | Thesis title |
---|---|---|---|
Qing Li | 2023 | PhD | River landform dynamics detection and responses to morphology change in the rivers of North Luzon, the Philippines. |
Rachel Williams | 2023 | MSc(Res) | Quantifying variability within the medial zone of modern distributive fluvial systems: implications for reservoir characterisation. |
Mirijami Lantto | 2023 | PhD | Wit(h)nessing riverscapes; luminous encounters in the riverine archive. |
Breanna Van | 2023 | MSc(Res) | By land, water, and air: an evaluation of the impact of embankment setbacks and two-stage channel design on flood characteristics of the upper River Nith. |
Octria Prasojo | 2023 | PhD | Scaling relationships of global river deltas. |
Ben Martin | 2020 | MSc(Res) | Predictive fluvial facies models: Huesca distributive fluvial system, Spain. |
Charlie Gilles | 2019 | PhD | Evaluating a multi-method approach for landslide susceptibility in Scotland. |
Eilidh Stott | 2019 | MSc(Res) | Rainfall-to-reach, modelling of braided morphodynamics. |
Da Liu | 2018 | PhD | Assessing the role of riverbank vegetation on stream hydrodynamics with implications for the transfer of solids. |
John Hart | 2016 | MPhil | Evaluating the use of SfM (Structure from Motion) as a tool for monitoring post-restoration fluvial dynamics. |
Teaching
I developed and formerly directed our MSc in Sustainable Water Environments.
Courses that I have convened / taught / co-taught
GEOG4057 Managing River Catchments
GEOG4111 GIS A: Applied spatial analysis
GEOG4112 GIS B: Theory & pracitce
GEOG5117 Modelling Water Environments
GEOG5025 Topographic mapping and landscape monitoring
GEOG5021 Research and professional issues in geomatics
GEOG5051 Sustainable water environments MSc Project
GEOG5114 Monitoring water environments
GEOG3010 Geography research skills: geomatics practicals
GEOG4052P Geography dissertation: supervision
GEOG5040P Geomatics MSc Project: supervision
Environmental Management
Natural hazards
Hydrological monitoring and modelling
Professional activities & recognition
Grant committees & research advisory boards
- 2019: NERC, Peer Review College
Professional & learned societies
- 2020 - 2023: Secretary, British Society for Geomorphology
- 2017 - 2020: Secretary, Research Committee, British Society for Geomorphology
- 2021: Accreditation Board Member, Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management