Dr Shasha Han

Dr Shasha Han

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Assistant Professor in Hydrology and Water Resources

Dr Shasha Han is an Assistant Professor in Physical Geography (Hydrology and Water Resources) in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Her research mainly focuses on two interlinked themes: 1) Improving probabilistic flood forecasts and floodplain mapping using advanced techniques; and 2) Investigating changes in floods over time in the context of changing climate and land cover and assessing the associated uncertainty.

Dr Han is passionate about hydroclimatic extremes, flood non-stationarity, hydrologic modelling, flood forecasting, climate change impacts, uncertainty analysis, urban hydrology, climate extremes and health, and data science.

Google Scholar | ORCID | Twitter: @DrShashaHan

Qualifications

PhD in Hydrology and Water Resources – McMaster University, 2019

MSc in Environmental Science – Beijing Normal University, 2014

Biography

Dr Shasha Han completed her PhD at McMaster University (Canada). Her work at McMaster includes probabilistic flood forecasting using advanced Bayesian techniques, the development of a Canadian adaptive flood forecasting and early warning system (CAFFEWS), and probabilistic floodplain mapping under climate change. Prior to joining the University of Birmingham, she worked as a research associate at the University of Oxford, where the focus was on investigating the impacts of urbanisation on river flooding and projecting river flows in the UK considering both urban expansion and climate change. Dr Han’s work at UoB expanded into various research areas, including projects related to flood non-stationarity, long-term flood projection, machine learning in hydrology, as well as flooding and health.

Teaching

Quantitative Analysis of Hydrological Processes (PGT)

Hydrology and Geomorphology (UG)

Field Research Skills (UG)

Dissertation Supervision 

Personal Tutor (UG)

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Shasha Han welcomes inquiries from prospective PGR students in her areas of interest.

Research

Dr Shasha Han is an Assistant Professor in Physical Geography (Hydrology and Water Resources) in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Her research mainly focuses on two interlinked themes: 1) Improving probabilistic flood forecasts and floodplain mapping using advanced techniques; and 2) Investigating changes in floods over time in the context of changing climate and land cover and assessing the associated uncertainty.

Dr Han is passionate about hydroclimatic extremes, flood non-stationarity, hydrologic modelling, flood forecasting, climate change impacts, uncertainty analysis, urban hydrology, climate extremes and health, and data science.

Google Scholar | ORCID | Twitter: @DrShashaHan

A selection of involved funded research projects:

NERC Doctor Training Partnerships: Flood futures: how is the risk of flood hazards evolving in the UK? (25/09/2023 – 30/04/2027)

NIHR RIGHT5 grant (£3M): Improving primary healthcare for patients with non-communicable diseases during severe flooding in India (01/01/2024 – 31/12/2028)

John Fell Fund: The impacts of urbanisation on river flooding (10/09/2020 - 17/01/2022)

NSERC FloodNet Project (CAD $5M) Theme 3: Development of Canadian Adaptive Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (01/09/2014 – 26/08/2019)

Other activities

Journal Reviewer for Water Resources Research, Journal of Hydrometeorology, Hydrology Research, Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Natural Hazards, Journal of Flood Risk Management, Monthly Weather Review

Deputy Environmental Science Admissions Tutor

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Han, S, Slater, LJ, Wilby, RL & Faulkner, D 2022, 'Contribution of urbanisation to non-stationary river flow in the UK', Journal of Hydrology, vol. 613, no. Part A, 128417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128417

Zahmatkesh, Z, Han, S & Coulibaly, P 2021, 'Understanding uncertainty in probabilistic floodplain mapping in the time of climate change', Water, vol. 13, no. 9, 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091248

Han, S, Coulibaly, P & Biondi, D 2019, 'Assessing Hydrologic Uncertainty Processor Performance for Flood Forecasting in a Semiurban Watershed', Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)he.1943-5584.0001828

Han, S & Coulibaly, P 2019, 'Probabilistic Flood Forecasting Using Hydrologic Uncertainty Processor with Ensemble Weather Forecasts', Journal of Hydrometeorology. https://doi.org/10.1175/jhm-d-18-0251.1

Han, S & Coulibaly, P 2017, 'Bayesian flood forecasting methods: A review', Journal of Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.06.004

Zhao, Y, Han, S, Chen, Z, Liu, J & Hu, H 2015, 'Comparative study of heavy metals in "soil-wheat" systems between sewage-irrigated areas and clean-water-irrigated areas in suburban Beijing', Journal of Environmental Health.

Zhao, Y, Mao, G, Han, S & Gao, L 2015, 'Effect of Namomaterials on Heavy Metal Transport in Alkaline Soil', Soil and Sediment Contamination. https://doi.org/10.1080/15320383.2015.1001057

Zhou, L, Zhao, Y, Wang, S, Han, S & Liu, J 2015, 'Lead in the soil–mulberry (Morus alba L.)–silkworm (Bombyx mori) food chain: Translocation and detoxification', Chemosphere. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.01.031

Conference contribution

Han, S & Slater, L 2021, Projecting future streamflow under changing climate and urban land cover across the UK. in EGU General Assembly 2021., EGU21-3084, European Geosciences Union, EGU General Assembly 2021, 19/04/21. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3084

Han, S 2018, Performance of Hydrologic Uncertainty Processor with Ensemble Weather Forecasts Used in Flood Forecasting. in AGU Fall Meeting 2018., H31A-04.

Han, S 2017, Uncertainty Estimation through Bayesian Forecasting System: A Case Study. in 2017 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress.

Review article

Slater, LJ, Anderson, B, Buechel, M, Dadson, S, Han, S, Harrigan, S, Kelder, T, Kowal, K, Lees, T, Matthews, T, Murphy, C & Wilby, RL 2021, 'Nonstationary weather and water extremes: a review of methods for their detection, attribution, and management', Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 3897–3935. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3897-2021

View all publications in research portal