Professor Ian Holman is a leading academic at Cranfield University, where he holds the position of Professor of Integrated Land and Water Management and leads the Centre for Water, Environment and Development within the Cranfield Water Science Institute. His expertise spans integrated land and water systems, natural capital, sustainable land systems, and water science and engineering, with a strong focus on climate change adaptation and policy. His research is centered on three main pillars: (1) integrated modeling of land and water systems under changing climate and socio-economic conditions, (2) innovative agricultural water management to enhance water security and drought resilience, and (3) understanding lowland peat management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He employs interdisciplinary methods combining hydrogeology, spatial pedology, and agricultural science to address complex environmental challenges at catchment to continental scales. His recent publications (2023–2025) reflect a strong trend in drought resilience, particularly in Thailand and the UK, with increasing focus on socio-hydrological systems, institutional adaptation, and decision support tools. Key subfields include drought forecasting using climate teleconnections (e.g., NAO), sediment and nutrient transport in rivers, rainwater harvesting, and peatland carbon management. His work bridges science and policy, with clients including Defra, Environment Agency, NERC, and the European Commission. Professor Holman has supervised numerous students and collaborators, many of whom appear as co-authors on his publications. He has led major research projects funded by UK government departments, research councils, and international agencies. His work supports climate adaptation policy and water security in both temperate and tropical regions. He is actively involved in developing decision support tools such as the D-Risk webtool for drought risk management and has contributed to lowland peat re-wetting assessments for greenhouse gas reduction. His leadership in integrated modeling platforms supports evolving environmental and agricultural policies. He has also co-authored several books on climate change, vulnerability assessment, and socio-economic pathways.
