Future Water
The goal of the Future Water Flagship is to ensure New Zealand secures enough clean water for people, businesses, and the environment by understanding, predicting, and advising on water supply and demand.
We provide scientific evidence, guidance and solutions to achieve water security through water policy, management, and planning. We also develop integrated water forecasting and decision-support systems that combine hydrological modelling, environmental observations and climate projections to support national and regional water security planning.
Chief Scientist - Future Water: Doug Booker
Doug has 25 years’ experience in hydro-ecological modelling and freshwater management, specialising in water allocation, river classification, hydraulic modelling, machine learning and statistical methods. He has developed tools and frameworks that enable New Zealand agencies and regional councils to implement freshwater policy, such as river flow management frameworks, nationwide hydrological estimates, river networks, and web applications that support science-based decision-making. Doug has published widely and collaborates closely with end users across government, iwi, and industry to deliver practical, policy-relevant outcomes.