Research Description
Professor Ximing Cai is a research pioneer in integrated hydrologic-economic modeling for river basin management and water systems operations. His current research areas include coupled human-natural system analysis with an emphasis on human interferences in hydrological processes, water-energy-food system modeling especially in dry areas, and sustainable water resources management particularly in developing countries. He has authored or co-authored more than 110 peer-reviewed journal papers, three books and several monographs. He currently serves as Editor for Water Resources Researchthe flagship journal of water resources, published by the American Geophysical Union, and on the editorial board of other major water journals. He has received several awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER award and best paper awards from Water International and the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. He has worked as a consultant to the World Bank, the United Nations and other international agencies.
Courses Taught
Professor Cai teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in water resources engineering, surface water hydrology and application of geographic information systems, and river basin management.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Ben Chie Yen Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
Professor, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies
External Links
Recent Publications
Wallington, K., Cai, X., & Kalcic, M. (2024). Evaluating the longevity of in-stream phosphorus legacies: A downstream cascade of recovery following point source remediation. Science of the Total Environment, 912, Article 168711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168711
Wang, Z., Wang, Y., Liu, K., Cheng, L., & Cai, X. (2024). Theory and practice of basin-wide floodwater utilization: Typical implementing measures in China. Journal of Hydrology, 628, Article 130520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130520
Xie, M., Li, Y., & Cai, X. (2024). Hydrological responses to the synergistic climate and land-use changes in the upper Lancang river basin. Environmental Research Letters, 19(1), Article 014045. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad1347
Cao, Z., Zhu, T., & Cai, X. (2023). Hydro-agro-economic optimization for irrigated farming in an arid region: The Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia. Agricultural Water Management, 277, Article 108095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.108095
Jamal, A., Cai, X., Qiao, X., Garcia, L., Wang, J., Amori, A., & Yang, H. (2023). Real-Time Irrigation Scheduling Based on Weather Forecasts, Field Observations, and Human-Machine Interactions. Water Resources Research, 59(12), Article e2023WR035810. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035810