Wolfgang Schmid

Dr Wolfgang Schmid is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, with adjunct faculty status at the University of Arizona. His work focuses on sustainable water management through advanced hydrological modeling and innovative groundwater research.

• Doctor of Philosophy in Hydrology (University of Arizona, 2004)
• Diplom in Geology (University of Tübingen, 1994)
• Diplom in Geography (University of Tübingen, 1994)

Dr Schmid specializes in MODFLOW-OWHM code development, particularly the Farm Process module. His research spans groundwater allocation planning, land subsidence assessment, and coal seam gas impact analysis. He has led international projects in the Indus Basin (Pakistan) and Brahmani-Baitarni Basin (India), addressing food-water crises through integrated modeling.

His software development work has been applied in 62 global projects, and he pioneered workshops on groundwater modeling in Australia, Germany, and Italy. Current interests include machine learning applications for aquifer compaction analysis and participatory modeling approaches for socio-economic scenario development.

Scientific Awards:
• 2009 Kevin J Neese Award
• 2018 CSIRO Chairman's Medal

Dr Schmid has contributed to environmental impact assessments for WaterCorp and national unconventional gas development policies. His career spans academic roles at the University of Arizona (2004-2012), consultancies in Germany/UAE (1994-1999), and 15+ years of CSIRO leadership in groundwater research.