Two UNSW academics were honoured by the American Geophysical Union for their work in water resource management and urban climate systems, respectively.
UNSW Professor Ashish Sharma was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Washington, DC, overnight, while Associate Professor Negin Nazarian was bestowed the 2025 Global Environmental Change Early Career Award.
The AGU is the world's largest Earth and space science association. It celebrates individuals and teams through its annual honours and recognition program for accomplishments in research, education, science communication and outreach.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Dane McCamey congratulated Prof. Sharma and A/Prof. Nazarian.
"The AGU is one of the world's most prestigious scientific organisations, recognising only the very best researchers and academics through its awards and fellowships. To be selected by the AGU for a Fellowship or award is a real honour and a testament to the global impact of these extraordinary individuals' work," Prof. McCamey said.
"Ashish's research has been instrumental in the world's understanding of hydrological extremes and uncertainty - the unpredictability of how water moves through the environment - and the effect climate change is already having on the water infrastructure that has underpinned the way Australians live and thrive.
"And Negin's work has greatly advanced our understanding of how the built environment interacts with the climate, improving modelling accuracy and generating evidence-based solutions to help make our cities more resilient.
"I am excited to see their continued contributions and leadership in their respective fields."
Predicting how extreme floods or droughts will change in future climates
Prof. Sharma, from UNSW's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering , is a world-leading researcher on hydrological extremes. His research focuses on deepening our understanding of how extreme floods and droughts will change in future climates, and how these changes can be better predicted. He is also passionate about projecting such extremes (which, by definition, are rarer than those typically observed) in remote and rural settings, where communities are more vulnerable, and observed data minimal or non-existent.
Prof. Sharma said that as global warming intensifies, the world will be hit with new, unexpected extremes that existing infrastructure (such as dams) and warning systems will not anticipate.
"Look at the recent floods in Texas that killed 135 people, or the twin dam collapse in Libya two years ago that killed nearly 20,000 people. Events like these are happening across the world and will only get worse as our infrastructure crumbles and storms intensify.
"I believe my role as a researcher and an engineer is to foretell how these extremes will change into the future so existing infrastructure can be fortified and better warning systems designed.
"And while flood impact is always stark and visible, one must not forget that our towns all rely on water supply that will be worst impacted. If my work can improve water and flood security for vulnerable communities, there could be no better reward for me," he said.
Prof. Sharma joins an esteemed group of scientists, leaders, and communicators recognised by AGU for advancing science. Fellows act as external experts, advising government agencies and other organisations outside the sciences. Since its inception in 1962, fewer than 0.1% of AGU members have been selected as Fellows each year.
I believe my role as a researcher and an engineer is to foretell how these extremes will change into the future so existing infrastructure can be fortified and better warning systems designed.
Understanding the impact of urban climate
A/Prof. Nazarian received the AGU's Global Environmental Change Early Career Award, which recognises outstanding research, educational or societal contributions to global environmental change within 10 years of completing a PhD.
"It's very encouraging to receive recognition from the wider environmental science community," said A/Prof. Nazarian. "It's rewarding to know that our work is making a difference, especially in line with the spirit of the Global Environmental Change Award, which recognises contributions of global importance."
As an urban climatologist, A/Prof. Nazarian examines how weather and climate interact with the built environment and how this affects urban residents.
She described cities as hotspots of climate hazards and risks.
"When we replace all the natural land covers with built materials, it absorbs and traps more heat, creates more runoff and flooding, among other issues," A/Prof. Nazarian said. "Not only that, but most of the world's population lives in cities, many of which are quite close to the coast, which means also dealing with additional problems such as sea level rise, changes in precipitation patterns and coastal storms."
A/Prof. Nazarian is a Scientia Associate Professor at the School of Built Environment and Deputy Director at the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather . She also leads the Climate-Resilient Cities (CRC) research lab - a multidisciplinary team focused on tackling heat and air quality issues in cities. Its expertise includes mechanical engineering, climate science, architecture and advanced data analytics.
One of the areas she is focused on is improving the accuracy of climate assessments for cities. She said many current models often don't adequately represent the unique characteristics of urban areas, which affects their accuracy and relevance.
"Meteorological forecasts assume cities like Sydney are a big concrete slab, so the climate projections aren't providing an accurate representation of our cities," she said.
A/Prof. Nazarian is also currently working on a national strategy for urban climate research in Australia, including identifying the required infrastructure and fostering talent.
We need to get to the point where science is really shaping policy, governance and investment.
Internationally, A/Prof. Nazarian serves as a scientific advisor to the World Weather Research Programme and chairs the Board on Urban Environment at the American Meteorological Society. She is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and Cities scheduled for release in March 2027. The report will combine the latest scientific evidence with practical solutions to confront the urgent challenges of urban climate change.
"As a climate scientist, what keeps you awake at night is the fact that we've already almost reached 1.5 °C warming and we are not where we need to be," A/Prof. Nazarian said. "We need to get to the point where science is really shaping policy, governance and investment.
"Working with the next generation of urban climatologists, I hope we will be equipped with the culture, resources and skills to accelerate our progress."
