Professor Dapeng Yu

PhD (Leeds)

  • Professor of River Dynamics
Publications
Google Scholar
Dapeng Yu

Academic Career

2019-present: Professor of River Dynamics, Loughborough University.
2015-2019: Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Loughborough University.
2007-2015: Lecturer in Physical Geography, Loughborough University. 
2004-2007: Research Associate in Physical Geography, Durham University. 
2001-2005: PhD in Physical Geography (funded by Overseas Research Scholarship and Leeds University), University of Leeds, UK.
1999-2001: M.Sc. in Geographical Information Science (funded by the Netherlands government), Wageningen University & Research Centre, The Netherlands.

Innovation

2019 – present: Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Previsico, insurtech spinout providing real-time, property-level surface water flood forecasts to mitigate flood impacts globally, including live actionable flood nowcast and forecast warnings. Previsico’s mission is to be the leading global provider of cutting-edge flood prediction that saves lives and livelihoods.  With investment from Innovate UK, Advantage Business Angels, Foresight Group and 24Haymarket we have rapidly grown, helping insurers, businesses, governments and humanitarian organisations mitigate flood impacts. Read more about our case studies, technology and services.

Professional Responsibilities

2016-present: EPSRC Associate Peer Review College Member. 
2017: NERC Grant Assessment Panel Member. 
2017-2020: Visiting Professor: School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, China. 
2016-present: International Advisory Board Member, School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, China. 
Associate Editor: Frontiers of Earth Science. Springer.
Editorial board member: Journal of GeoVisulisation and Spatial Analysis. Springer.
2016-present: External Examiner of MSc Programme in Environmental Science at School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia. 
2016-present: Enterprise Director, Department of Geography, Loughborough University. 
2014-2015: British Council Researcher Links Programme Assessment Panel Member.

Dapeng's research in recent years has been funded by NERC, EPSRC, Royal Geographical Society, and United Nations. His research expertise and interest lie in the following broad areas:

  • Hydrodynamic Modelling: Representative of Dapeng's work in hydrodynamic modelling is a 2D flood modelling software FloodMap, which is being used widely by researchers in many countries. He is the Loughborough Principal Investigator of two EPSRC grants (2015-2019) (Vaccinating the Nexus and STEPPING UP). He led a NERC climate service pathway project as Principal Investigator on Future Flood Risks, and involved in the Drone Watch project (2016).
  • Flood Risk Analysis and Impact Evaluation:  From 2014, Dapeng leads three NERC grants as Principal Investigator, including: (i) Resilience of critical infrastructure for emergency response to extreme flood events (NE/M008770/1), (ii) Real-time surface water flood risk mapping (NE/N013050/1); and (iii)  National assessment of emergency response accessibility during flooding (NE/R009600/1), in collaboration with organisations including Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Governments, Met Office, Environment Agency, Resilience Forums, local authorities, Atkins Global, Transport for London and Transport Scotland.
  • Geocomputation and Spatial Analysis using Big Data: Dapeng has a MSc degree in Geographical Information Science from Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands. Representative of his expertise in this area is a risk analysis and mapping project in Yemen (as Co-I, working with Professor Robert Wilby (PI)), commissioned by the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the UN, which produced high-impact research outputs as well as practical guidance for risk managers internationally.

Undergraduate

Year 1

  • Tutorials (additional tutor). 

Year 2

  • Physical Geography Field course (additional tutor).
  • Remote Sensing and GIS (additional tutor). 
  • GRDP (additional tutor).

Year 3

  • GIS and Flood Management (module convenor). 
  • Dissertation (additional tutor). 

Postgraduate Taught

  • Applied Environmental GIS (module convenor). 
  • Natural Hazards and Catastrophe Modelling (module convenor). 

Current Postgraduate Research Students

  • Kate Mcanally (2015-) "Use of UAS in flood risk management". Principal Supervisor, with Dr David Graham.
  • Avinoam Baruch (2015-) "Crowd-sourcing for flood risk management". Co-Supervisor with Dr Andrew May, Design School.
  • Amelia Bulcock (2015-) "The geomorphic and hydraulic impact of complex weir removals: Evaluation risk in river restoration". Co-Supervisor with Professor Stephen Rice.
  • Samuel Dixon (2014-) "Hydro-power resilience". Co-Supervisor, with Professor Rob Wilby.
  • Daniel Green (2013-) "Coupling physical modelling with numerical modelling for urban flood inundation". Principal Supervisor.

Recent Postgraduate Research Students

  • Xiaodan Wu (2012) "An evaluation of the impacts of land surface modification, storm sewer development, and rainfall variation on waterlogging risk in Shanghai". Visiting PhD student from East China Normal University.
  • Jie Yin (2011) "Flood risk analysis of Shanghai". Visiting PhD student from with East China Normal University.
  • Chanita Duangyiwa (2016) "Combined impact of land subsidence, sea level rise and storm surge on flood risks in Bangkok". Supported by Royal Thai Government Scholarship. Principal Supervisor, with Professor Rob Wilby.
  • Yan, H., Gao, Y., Wilby, R., Yu, D., Wright, N., Yin, J., Chen, X., Chen, J. and Guan, M. (2024) Urbanization Further Intensifies Short-Duration Rainfall Extremes in a Warmer Climate, Geophysical Research Letters 51 (5): https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108565
  • Yin, J., Yang, Y., Yu, D., Lin, N., Wilby, R., Lane, S., Sun, B., Bricker, J., Wright, N., Yang, L., and Guan, M. (2024) Strategic storm flood evacuation planning for large coastal cities enables more effective transfer of elderly populations, Nature Water https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00210-z
  • Wang, Z., Wilby, R.L. and Yu, D. (2024) Spatial and temporal scaling of extreme rainfall in the United Kingdom, International Journal of Climatology 44 (1): 286-304.
  • Wilby, R.L., Dawson, C.W., Yu, D., Herring, Z., Baruch, A., Ascott, M.J., Finney, D.L., Macdonald, D.M.J., Marsham, J.H., Matthews, T. and Murphy, C. (2023) Spatial and temporal scaling of sub-daily extreme rainfall for data sparse places, Climate Dynamics 60: 3577-3596.
  • Yin, J., Gao, Y., Chen, R., Yu, D., Wilby, R., Wright, N., Ge, Y., Bricker, J., Gong, H. and Guan, M. (2023) Flash floods: why are more of them devastating the world’s driest regions? Nature 615 (7951): 212-215.
  • Yin, J., Yu, D. and Liao, B. (2021) A city-scale assessment of emergency response accessibility to vulnerable populations and facilities under normal and pluvial flood conditions for Shanghai, China, Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 48 (8): 2239-2253.
  • Guo, K., Guan, M. and Yu, D. (2021) Urban surface water flood modelling – a comprehensive review of current models and future challenges, Hydrology and Earth Science Systems 25 (5): 2843-2860.
  • Yu, D., Yin, J., Wilby, R.L., Lane, S.N., Aerts, J.C.J.H., Lin, N., Liu, M., Yuan, H., Chen, J., Prudhomme, C., Guan, M., Baruch, A., Johnson, C.W.D., Tang, X., Yu, L. and Xu, S. (2020) Disruption of emergency response to vulnerable populations during floods, Nature Sustainability 3: 728-736.