Brutsaert is one of the world’s leading authorities on terrestrial evaporation, a crucial aspect of the water cycle but very difficult to measure or estimate, particularly at the local level. Brutsaert’s work has provided tools to overcome this difficulty that are particularly important to local communities needing to predict how much water is available today and how much will be available in the future.

“The Water Environment Federation congratulates Professor Brutsaert on winning the 2022 Stockholm Water Prize and applauds his groundbreaking work to quantify evaporation,” said WEF President Jamie Eichenberger. “WEF is proud to be a founding partner of the Stockholm Water Prize and to support its recognition of the world’s leading water scientists.

Brutsaert is of Belgian origin and has lived in the U.S., working at Cornell University, for over 50 years. He is William L. Lewis Professor in Engineering Emeritus at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Amongst his written work are the seminal Evaporation into the Atmosphere and the broader Hydrology: An Introduction.

“Winning the Prize is a great honor and I hold previous winners and their expertise in the highest regard,” said Professor Brutsaert. “For me, this feels like a confirmation that my years spent researching and teaching may have caused some good.”

The Stockholm Water Prize is awarded by the Stockholm International Water Institute in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The Prize will be presented on August 31, 2022, during World Water Week. Founding partners of Stockholm Water Prize are Ålandsbanken, Bacardi, PDJ Foundation, WEF and Xylem.

Wilfried Brutsaert is named Stockholm Water Prize 2022