UNSW researcher wins top US award for pioneering work on water security

Professor Ashish Sharma receives the 2026 Arid Lands award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

UNSW Sydney Professor Ashish Sharma from the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering has been recognised by America’s leading civil engineering society.

Prof. Sharma, a world-leading researcher on hydrological extremes, was awarded the 2026 Arid Lands Hydraulic Engineering prize by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at an event in Mobile, Alabama.

The award recognises work that improves our understanding of long-term climate patterns affecting water – to better predict floods and droughts and support the design of future-proof infrastructure.

Prof. Sharma investigates how floods and droughts will change as climate extremes intensify, and how these changes can be more accurately anticipated. He is particularly focused on projecting these risks in remote and rural settings, where communities are more vulnerable.

“My role as a researcher and an engineer is to analyse how climate extremes will change into the future so existing infrastructure can be fortified and better warning systems designed,” Prof. Sharma said.

“This award recognises both my work and UNSW’s leadership in water research, especially in arid regions.

“My team, together with UNSW’s broader water research community across multiple centres, schools and faculties, has long been a leader in this field, and it is deeply rewarding to see that recognised globally.”

Global honour reflects decades of research

Prof. Sharma uses data and climate modelling to improve how water systems are managed. By linking changes in climate to water system impacts such as floods and droughts, his research helps governments and industries better prepare for extreme events and manage water resources more sustainably.

Prof. Sharma’s research aims to better protect communities as global warming intensifies, bringing new and unexpected extremes that existing infrastructure (such as dams) and warning systems cannot anticipate.

UNSW Dean of Engineering Professor Julien Epps congratulated Prof. Sharma on his international achievement.

“We are incredibly proud to see Professor Ashish Sharma recognised with this prestigious global award. His pioneering research on hydrological extremes reflects UNSW Engineering’s leadership in tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet, particularly in vulnerable regions,” Prof. Epps said.

“Professor Sharma’s research has played a critical role in advancing our understanding of the impacts of climate change on the water infrastructure that underpins Australian society. I look forward to his continued contributions in this field.”

New methods to promote water security

Prof. Sharma’s team was awarded a Discovery Projects grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in 2025, to support research on finding new ways to estimate how much water is flowing in rivers in remote places.

Instead of relying on traditional gauges, the new model led by Prof. Sharma uses satellite data and images to predict water level readings. It also looks at patterns in how rivers behave over time to improve accuracy. The team developed a new method to make these estimates more reliable, even for large and complex river systems.

“The World Bank states that the largest economic risk facing us over a 10-year horizon is a ‘global water crisis’. While some facets of this crisis are beyond our control, water security can be enhanced especially in remote parts of the world by using novel methods for reconstructing and simulating flows,” Prof. Sharma said.

“If we can understand how extreme droughts or floods were in locations without recorded data, we can better prepare for future disasters and warn people earlier.  

“My goal is to ensure water security, especially for the remote and underprivileged communities that suffer from water disasters year after year.”