Paolo Perona

Expertise River mechanics and morphoydnamics, Erosion processes, Ecohydraulics, Plant roots biomechanics, Watershed and catchment hydrology, Water Resources Management, General hydraulics, Time Series Analysis, Dynamical Systems Theory, Stochastic Processes Expertise River mechanics and morphoydnamics, Erosion processes, Ecohydraulics, Plant roots biomechanics, Watershed and catchment hydrology, Water Resources Management, General hydraulics, Time Series Analysis, Dynamical Systems Theory, Stochastic Processes Personal research interests Paolo Perona's research interests concern the dynamic of complex systems e.g., as geophysical ones or involving non Newtonian fluids, and related engineering applications. His background is in fluid mechanics, rheology and time series analysis. His recent studies address the dynamics of river and riparian vegetation, and the hydrology of alpine systems in order to investigate the impact of climate changes on the long term availability and sustainable management of water. In particular: i) River and riparian vegetation interactions ii) Dynamics of alpine basins at inter-and intra- annual scales iii) Surface water hydrology iv) Optimization of water resources management problems v) Mechanics of food and bio fluids in pipes and channels The aim is to extract the either stochastic or deterministic footprint that characterizes the dynamics by means of both direct (e.g. analytical and numerical modelling) and inverse (e.g. linear and nonlinear data analysis) approaches.Research Projects - ADAMANT: Alpine environmental Dynamics And the sustainable MAnagement of Non-Traditional water uses, Professorship program funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and sponsoring the new Research Group AHEAD ( Open positions); - ROOTEDNESS: ROOT Erosion Dynamics and the Nonlinear Effect of Strengthening of river alluvial Sediments, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNF ); - RECORD: REstored COrridor Dynamics, funded by the Competence Center for the Environment and Sustainability ( CCES ); - RIVERINE: RIver – VEgetation interactions and Reproduction of Island Nuclei formation and Evolution, funded by the european framework program ( Hydralab III ); - WARECALC: WAter REsources vulnerability to Climate and Anthopogenic Landscape Changes, funded by the EU program FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES-2008;Short Curriculum Vitae 2022 - present, Professor of Water and Hydraulic Engineering and Head of the Platform of Hydraulic Constructions, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPFL, CH2020 & present, Honorary Visiting Professor, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UK2019 & 2020 Head of the Research Institute for Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UK2018 & 2019 Deputy Head of the Research Institute for Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UK2016 - 2020 Full Professor, Chair of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UK2015 (Sept-Dec) Visiting scientist at the Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, CH2010 & 2015 (Dec) Head of the Research Group «Alpine Hydroeconomics and Environmental Dynamics», Institute of Environmental Engineering, ENAC, EPFL, Lausanne2010 & 2015 (Dec) Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ENAC Faculty, EPFL Lausanne2008 Visiting scientist in the ambit of the European project Hydralab III, University of Hull, Hull, UKs;2003 & 2010 Research associate (Oberassistant), Institute of Environmental Engineering, D-BAUG, ETH Zurich, CH;- Master on Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy, February2001- 2003 Research scientist in hydraulic engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy1998 - 2001 PhD in hydraulic engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy1997. - State examination for the qualification to the profession of Engineer (Chartered engineer), Politecnico di Torino, Italy, Teaching & PhD PhD Students Junjia Kang, Meghan Ellen Irving, Yahel Eliyahu-Yakir, Romain Van Mol, Francesca Padoan Past EPFL PhD Students Lorenzo Gorla, Katharina Maria Edmaier, Samuel Luke Vorlet Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Amin Niayifar Courses Irrigation and drainage engineering ENV-549 The course aims at teaching the fundamentals of both irrigation and drainage techniques with particular attention to the soil water balance and related management, the materials, the construction methods as well as the environmental impacts and sustainability criteria of both practices. Rhonescape PENS-225 RHONEscape aims at realizing the necessary interdisciplinary educational background of the problematics affecting highly-corrected large rivers, by examining riverine ecological, hydrological and morphological spatial features with new methods of conceiving the space in and around rivers. River eco-morphodynamics and bioengineering ENV-418 The course deals with the interactions between hydraulics, solid transport by hauling and the watercourse space at the origin of the morphology and richness of habitats. Regime theory is presented and the quality of a stream's habitat is assessed. Sustainability ENV-101 This course presents global sustainability issues. It introduces planetary boundaries, their systemic interconnections and social justice issues. The interdisciplinary approach introduces group work and systems thinking (interdependencies in a complex system). Water resources engineering and management CIVIL-466 The course focuses on designing and managing water systems to ensure sustainable use for both human and environmental needs. Engineering aspects:water quantity, quality, timing, distribution. Management: economic evaluation of water systems in the context of global changes and financial constraints.