Francesco Laio

Francesco Laio is a Full Professor at the Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI), Politecnico di Torino, where he also serves as Department Director and holds key roles in university governance, including membership in the Academic Senate and the University Committee for Research, Technology Transfer and Services to the Territory.

• Full Professor (since 2011)
• Director, Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering
• Member, Academic Senate, Politecnico di Torino
• Member, Employers' Delegation
• Member, Commission for Interdepartmental Centers and Platforms

His research focuses on hydrology, climate change, extreme events, and the water-food-energy nexus. He has led major research projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC), FIRB, PRIN, and Interreg, with a total funding of over €1.1 million. His work bridges engineering, climatology, and environmental sustainability, with applications in flood risk, water resource management, and socio-hydrological systems.

His recent publications highlight a strong trend in hydrological modeling, climate change impacts on flood frequency, atmospheric moisture tracking, and innovative citizen science initiatives such as the SIREN project for recovering historical hydrological data. These works are published in top journals like Water Resources Research, Scientific Data, and Communications Earth & Environment, reflecting interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological innovation.

• Torricelli Prize (2006) – Best Young Researcher in Hydraulic Disciplines (2004–2006)

He has supervised 11 PhD students and currently mentors several doctoral candidates in areas such as water footprint analysis, climate resilience, and hydrological modeling. He has also secured multiple national and international research grants, demonstrating sustained leadership in research funding acquisition and project management. He is actively involved in editorial roles for leading journals including Water Resources Research, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, and Advances in Water Resources.

Francesco Laio leads the WATERVIEW laboratory at DIATI, which focuses on hydrological and environmental systems. He is also the principal investigator of several ongoing projects, including NODES (Digital Innovation Toward Sustainable Mountain) under the PNRR Mission 4, and previously led the ERC-funded CWASI project. His team integrates field data, modeling, and citizen science to advance understanding of water systems under global change.