In Search of the Best

Abstract

This paper is based on the 2009 Munro Oration given by Prof Graeme Dandy at the 32^nd Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium held in Newcastle on 30 November to 3 December 2009. The paper outlines the importance of considering human activity and its impact on the hydrological cycle. It outlines the systems approach, multi-objective planning and evolutionary optimisation, and their application to the planning and design of water resources systems. The contribution of previous researchers and engineers in the development of these techniques is acknowledged. Among them, Crawford Munro provided a shining example of a rational approach to the planning and management of our water resources.

Key Words:

• Crawford Munro
• systems approach
• optimisation
• multi-objective planning
• evolutionary algorithms
• water resources planning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G Dandy

Graeme Dandy is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering Science from the University of Melbourne, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering Systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Graeme was a member of the National Committee on Water Engineering (NCWE) of Engineers Australia for 8 years from 1987 to 1995, and was Chairman in 1993-1994. Under his Chairmanship, the NCWE initiated the production of the Australian Journal of Water Resources. He was also Chair of the Hydrological Society of South Australia in 1987 and 1988. He has been a member of the organising committees for three Hydrology and Water Resources Symposia and was Chair of the organising committee for Water Down Under 2008 in Adelaide.

Graeme is also a Director of Optimatics Pty Ltd, a consulting company that applies evolutionary algorithm optimisation to the planning, design and operations of water supply, irrigation, sewerage and water resources systems.

Graeme’s honours include being a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.

He has been a visiting Professor at Cornell University in the USA and the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has also been a JSPS Fellow at Kyoto University in Japan and held a Fellowship in Environmental Hydraulics at the University of Hong Kong.

In 2004, Graeme was appointed Interim CEO of the International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management based in Adelaide and he is currently an Ambassador of that Centre.

His research interests include: the application of evolutionary algorithms for the optimisation of water supply and water reuse systems; and the use of artificial neural networks for forecasting water resources variables including flow and water quality.

He is the co-author of 150 refereed publications, including an undergraduate engineering textbook titled Planning and Design of Engineering Systems.