Darren Crook

Dr Darren Crook is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography at the University of Hertfordshire. He specializes in mountain irrigation, historical landscape change, and sustainable water resources. His research bridges human-environment interactions, focusing on regions like the European Alps and the Western Ghats of India.

Research interests include historical farming systems, flood histories, resilience strategies, and rural development. He leads projects on green hydrogen economies, South Indian water institutions, and traditional irrigation technologies like Suranga in Karnataka and Kerala.

Recent projects include The Political Economy of Green Hydrogen Morocco-UK Phase 2 (2025-2026) and RPG-392: Sustainability of Suranga Technology (2012-2014, funded by The Leverhulme Trust). He has supervised 1 PhD student and published widely on topics ranging from ancient Chinese water management to modern sustainability challenges.

Key contributions include studies on groundwater systems in India, social-ecological frameworks in the Anthropocene, and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental history. His work emphasizes integrating biophysical and social data for holistic environmental management.