Water engineer Shishutosh Barua made a breakthrough in drought forecasting while completing his doctorate.  

"I studied civil engineering in Bangladesh and then did my masters degree in Belgium. I then received a VU Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science scholarship and came to Melbourne to do my doctorate degree.

When I arrived in 2007, Australia was in a serious drought. There was a lot of water research happening, especially at VU. My principal supervisor, Dr Anne Ng, and co-supervisor, Professor Chris Perera, were very supportive with my thesis on drought forecasting.

I developed a software tool that can predict droughts six months in advance using rainfall and climatic variables. The early detection of droughts can help water managers better prepare before they occur.

I’m now working for the Department of Sustainability and the Environment applying the knowledge I gained at VU to real-life situations for managing water resources across Victoria."

Course studied

Doctor of Philosophy, 2010

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