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
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
Colonel Harry F. & Frankie M. Lovell Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Director for Campus Sustainability, Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
External Links
Recent Publications
Apurv, T., & Cai, X. (2021). Regional Drought Risk in the Contiguous United States. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(5), [e2020GL092200]. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL092200
Du, E., Cai, X., Wu, F., Foster, T., & Zheng, C. (2021). Exploring the impacts of the inequality of water permit allocation and farmers’ behaviors on the performance of an agricultural water market. Journal of Hydrology, 599, [126303]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126303
Leibensperger, C., Yang, P., Zhao, Q., Wei, S., & Cai, X. (2021). The synergy between stakeholders for cellulosic biofuel development: Perspectives, opportunities, and barriers. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 137, [110613]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110613
Yang, P., Cai, X., & Khanna, M. (2021). Farmers' heterogeneous perceptions of marginal land for biofuel crops in US Midwestern states considering biophysical and socioeconomic factors. GCB Bioenergy, 13(5), 849-861. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12821
Zeng, X., Schnier, S., & Cai, X. (2021). A data-driven analysis of frequent patterns and variable importance for streamflow trend attribution. Advances in Water Resources, 147, [103799]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2020.103799