Transdisciplinary Ecohydrology

Professor Maciej Zalewski is the founder and former Chairman of UNESCO Chair of Ecohydrology and Applied Ecology at the University of Lodz (1991-2020), as well as the founder and former director of the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Science (2000-present). Professor Zalewski is the author of a novel concept of Ecohydrology which is the scientific basis for the methodology of "Nature-Based Solutions, that is recently being broadly developed by the United Nations and the European Commission. He has been the leading expert in UNESCO MAB and in UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (UNESCO IHP) in ecohydrology since 1989, and recently as elected as the Chairman of cross-sectoral working group Ecohydrology and Water Quality at UNESCO IHP, phase nine. He coordinates national and international research projects and is invited into expert teams, formulating strategic documents, both at national level and international: for the United Nations and the European Commission. In 2022-2024 he was the vice-chair of the Governing Board of the European Commission's programme Water4All (budget of 400 million Euro). He is renowned and recognized in the international scientific community and has been invited to numerous plenary lectures on several World Congresses and Conferences: the UN2023 Water Conference (Match 2023 New York), 40th World International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) Congress (August 2023, Vienna), UNESCO Water Centres Conference (May 2024, Kula Lumpur), 10th World Water Forum (May 2024, Bali, Indonesia), as well as invited lectures on prestigious universities: Royal Holloway, University of London (UK), University of Lyon (France), University of Vienna (Austria), University of Algarve (Portugal), University of San Carlos, University of Maringa (Brazil), Ethiopia, Burundi, Kenya, Senegal, National University of Ireland, University of Guelph (Canada), University of Alaska (USA), Japan, China, Malesia, Cibinong Science Centre, Lipi, Cibinong-Bogor (Indonesia), University Brno (Czechia), Hungary, Norway, Sweden.