Tim Hess

Professor Tim Hess is a Professor of Water and Food Systems at Cranfield University with over 35 years of research and consultancy experience in hydrology and agricultural water management. He specializes in sustainable food supply chains, irrigated agriculture, and ecosystem services approaches to water management. His interdisciplinary work involves collaboration with national/international organizations including the Environment Agency, EU DG Environment, WWF, and major retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Education includes a BSc in Geography, MSc in Agricultural Engineering (Land Resource Management), and PhD from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, focusing on climatic impacts on soil water balance in arid zones.

Research interests center on water science engineering, climate change adaptation in agriculture, drought resilience in food systems, and sustainable irrigation technologies. His work examines water-energy-food nexus challenges through field-based and policy-oriented approaches, with emphasis on UK and global agricultural systems.

Publications demonstrate strong focus on climate-water-agriculture interactions, with recent studies examining drought resilience frameworks, irrigation efficiency trade-offs, and sustainable water reuse in agriculture. Article keywords frequently include sustainability, risk management, supply chain resilience, and climate adaptation strategies.

Current projects include NERC-funded research on biodiversity scaling in urban ecosystems and climate adaptation in Indian agriculture, plus BBSRC initiatives for UK agri-food advancement. Serves on multiple committees including ISO Water Footprinting standards and UK Water Research Partnership.

Leads research within Cranfield's Water Science Institute and UKCRIC infrastructure consortium, focusing on water infrastructure resilience and sustainable resource management solutions.