Georgia (Gia) Destouni, Digital Futures Faculty, Professor at Stockholm University and Guest Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, has achieved significant recognition for her contributions to water and environmental science and engineering.
Gia Destouni currently serves as a Fellow at the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study (STIAS), leading a research project on “The African freshwater system: pressure-impact relationships, changes, and risks.” This is a groundbreaking initiative aiming to investigate how climate change and human land- and water-use developments interact to impact freshwater flow, availability, drought and flood variations and changes around the African continent.
The project takes an ambitious interdisciplinary approach, surpassing conventional views of freshwater issues. By integrating the physical-hydrological aspects and considering various change drivers and their connections, the research seeks to uncover large-scale patterns of pressure-impact relationships and potential tipping points with severe and irreversible impacts on societies and ecosystems around Africa.
On February 6, Gia Destouni was elected as an international member of The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest honours in engineering. Election to NAE honours outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, and education. Gia Destouni was recognized for her contributions to our understanding of anthropogenic and climate-driven shifts in Earth’s freshwaters and her sustained service to the related engineering science community.
NAE President John L. Anderson announced the election of 114 new members and 21 international members. The newly elected members’ induction ceremony is scheduled to occur during NAE’s annual meeting on September 29, 2024.
Gia Destouni’s accomplishments underscore her commitment to advancing engineering knowledge and addressing critical environmental challenges, positioning her as a leader in both the academic and engineering communities.
