Prof. Guilherme Marques | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award
Professor | Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil
Guilherme Fernandes Marques is an accomplished scholar and practitioner in the field of water resources management. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at the Instituto de Pesquisas Hidráulicas (IPH), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, With a career spanning over two decades, he has established himself as a leading expert in hydro-economics, water governance, climate adaptation, and integrated water resources planning. Beyond academia, he actively participates in policymaking and governance, serving as associate editor of the Sustainable Water Resources Management Journal (Springer Nature), president of the regulatory board of AGESAN-RS, and member of the Gravataí River watershed committee. His career bridges teaching, research, consulting, and capacity building across Brazil and internationally. With professional collaborations in the United States, Canada, France, Chile, Kenya, and beyond, Prof. Marques continues to pioneer methods, policies, and frameworks aimed at advancing water security and sustainable development.
Professional Profile
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Education
Prof. Marques holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis, where his research focused on the economic representation of agricultural activities in water resources systems engineering, funded by a CNPq fellowship. He also earned an M.Sc. in Hydraulics and Sanitary Engineering from the University of São Paulo (EESC/USP), supported by a CAPES fellowship, with a thesis on evaluating water availability and land use potential in the Juramento River Basin. His foundational academic training was completed at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), where he obtained his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. Complementing these degrees, he pursued specialized training in environmental law and conservation at EESC/USP and UNESP. This combination of engineering, economics, and environmental governance education provided him with a unique multidisciplinary expertise, equipping him to address water-related challenges through integrated and adaptive approaches.
Experience
Prof. Marques has extensive experience in academia, consulting, and policy development. At UFRGS/IPH, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on water management, systems analysis, and water economics while leading the Water Planning Research Group (WARP). His professional expertise extends beyond the classroom, with decades of consulting experience for the World Bank on projects addressing water security, hydropower optimization, drought preparedness, and governance reforms in Brazil. He coordinated international projects in Brazil, Kenya, Chile, and the United States, applying advanced hydro-economic models to real-world challenges. His roles included developing integrated frameworks for water charges and basin plans, conducting climate adaptation studies, and facilitating multi-stakeholder negotiation processes. Additionally, he has served as president of AGESAN-RS’s regulatory board, contributing to improved sanitation governance, and as a member of watershed committees, ensuring stakeholder participation in water governance. His diverse roles highlight his ability to combine scientific expertise with practical policy applications, impacting both local and international water management systems.
Research Interests
Prof. Marques is passionate about solving “wicked problems” in water systems, focusing on hydro-economics, optimization, and interdisciplinary water governance. His research interests include water economics, valuation of environmental assets, conjunctive use of surface and groundwater, hydropower optimization, reservoir operations, and environmental flows. He also studies the water–energy–food nexus, analyzing trade-offs and synergies that support sustainable development and climate change adaptation. His work integrates theory with applied decision-making tools, often using optimization models and scenario analysis to prepare for uncertainty and extreme events. He has worked extensively on projects funded by CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG, FAPERGS, IAI, and NSF, contributing to methodological advances and practical solutions in multiple countries. Through his leadership at the WARP research group, he has built interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge academia, public agencies, and international organizations, generating insights that influence both scientific research and governance practices in water resources and climate resilience.
Awards & Recognitions
Throughout his career, Prof. Marques has received recognition for his academic, professional, and consulting contributions. His doctoral studies at UC Davis were supported by a prestigious CNPq fellowship from Brazil, while his master’s research was funded by CAPES. He has successfully led and secured competitive funding from Brazilian and international agencies, including CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG, FAPERGS, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). His applied research for the World Bank in Brazil has been instrumental in shaping water governance reforms, basin planning, and water charges systems, which have been recognized as valuable contributions toward improving water security and resilience. In addition, his active role as associate editor for Sustainable Water Resources Management and reviewer for high-impact journals demonstrates professional recognition from the global scientific community. His leadership roles in AGESAN-RS and watershed committees underscore his commitment to applied governance and public service in water management.
Publications
Prof. Marques has published extensively in high-impact journals, contributing to the advancement of water governance, hydro-economics, and environmental sustainability. Selected recent publications include:
Nhampossa, J.A.; Marques, G.F.; et al. Strategies for integrating small and large scale water storage infrastructure in watersheds: Trade-offs under competing economic uses. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.
Cited by 32 articles.
Dalcin, A.P.; Marques, G.F.; et al. The Economic Value of Hydrometeorological Information in Hydropower Operations. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.
Cited by 29 articles.
Riediger, P.I.; Marques, G.F.; et al. Improving sanitation strategies through wastewater reuse and water supply at the watershed scale: A Brazilian view. Water Policy.
Cited by 36 articles.
Marques, G.F.; Formiga-Johnsson, R.M.; et al. Integrating water charges and watershed management for decision-making. Sustainable Water Resources Management.
Cited by 41 articles.
Conclusion
Prof. Guilherme Fernandes Marques is highly suitable for the Research for Best Researcher Award. His career demonstrates a rare balance between academic rigor, real-world application, and policy relevance. His long-standing dedication to water security, hydro-economic optimization, and sustainable resource governance has had a transformative impact both in Brazil and internationally. With further expansion of international collaborations and interdisciplinary outreach, he has the potential to become a leading global authority in water resources research. Overall, his profile strongly merits recognition with this award.