Research

The Environmental Hydrology Laboratory (E-Hydro Lab) intends to understand the dynamics of the water environment and hydrologic cycle by:

  • Investigating water-related challenges,
  • Evaluating the current state of watersheds and water resources, and
  • Conducting simulations of environmental models and best management practices.  

Areas of Interest

Hydrologic Assessment and Modeling

E-Hydro Lab is dedicated to understanding the hydrologic/water cycle of Philippine watersheds/catchments and its major river basins. In addition, E-Hydro Lab also intends to investigate and project the effects of landuse/land cover changes, climate change, and extreme weather events on Philippine hydrology as well as determine potential hydro-hazards (i.e. flood events).

Environmental Monitoring and Modeling

Conventional environmental monitoring is important when gathering first-hand or baseline information of the current state of the Philippine environment. Ground-based data (i.e. water quality parameters) obtained from monitoring activities can be used to train machine learning algorithms to process satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV aka drone) images of the earth’s surface. In this regard, E-Hydro Lab aims to:

  • Determine natural and anthropogenic factors and sources that contribute to the degradation of the water and terrestrial environments.
  • Apply machine learning techniques to optimize algorithms in processing remotely-sensed images of  water and terrestrial surfaces.
  • Evaluate the current state of water bodies using water quality and statistical models.

Fate and Transport of Pollutants and Bacteria

Alongside the advancement of technology, introduction of new materials, and rapid urbanization is the increasing number of environmental challenges and concerns affecting public health. E-Hydro Lab recognizes the need to determine the fates of priority pollutants and bacteria as well as simulate transport processes associated with multiple media (air, water, and soil) in order to recommend preventive measures and policies for stakeholders.