A researcher from the National University of Singapore has been awarded the first Global Climate Research Prize for work that could reshape how the world responds to floods and droughts.
Assistant Professor He Xiaogang was recognised for developing methods that use floodwater more effectively during dry periods, aiming to improve long-term water security.
His research is based on decades of global climate data and focuses on how extreme wet and dry events often follow each other in quick succession.
The prize was founded by LUT University in Finland together with Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge, and is supported by Finnish funding bodies, including the City of Lappeenranta and the Marjatta and Eino Kollin Foundation.
The €200,000 prize will go to the National University of Singapore to further research into climate resilience, particularly in water, food and energy systems.
His work is already being applied in regions from Southeast Asia to the United States, and the funding will also support training of future climate scientists and new international research collaborations.
