Flood expert Xu Chongyu leaves Europe for China as climate change speeds up

For three decades, Xu Chongyu was Europe’s secret weapon against the rising tides. Working from the University of Oslo, Xu developed hydrological models that helped to guard cities from Copenhagen to Brussels, predicting floods before the first clouds formed.

But the climate clock was ticking fast and his homeland needed him, so the Chinese-born scientist decided to leave.

A homecoming ceremony was held for Xu on December 3 at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (NCWU) in Zhengzhou – a city that still bears the scars of a deadly flood in 2021.

The university’s president, Liu Junguo, declared Xu the institution’s first top-tier overseas recruit. The hydrologist, a tenured professor in Norway and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, had walked away from it all.

“Currently, China’s water conservancy sector is facing severe challenges under global changes. My decision to return to China and join this university is not only a career choice but also a new beginning, allowing me to contribute my lifelong learning, research and insights to my homeland,” Xu said at the event.

NCWU is a higher education institution jointly established by the Ministry of Water Resources and Henan province. It is focused on training professionals in hydraulic engineering.