Dr. Casey Brown | Civil and Environmental Engineering

Professor

12B Marston Hall

College of Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst
130 Natural Resources Road
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003

cbrown@ecs.umass.edu

(413) 577-2337

(413) 545-2202

Professional Bio

Hydrosystems Research Group

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Education

Ph.D., Harvard University, 2004.
M.S., University of Massachusetts, 1994.
B.S., University of Notre Dame, 1993.

Research

Hydroclimatologic variability and change
Climate risk management in infrastructure systems
Water, climate and economic development
Sustainable water resources planning and management

Program Area:

Environmental and Water Resources Engineering

Publications

Whateley, S., Steinschneider, S., and Brown, C. (2016). “Selecting Stochastic Climate Realizations to Efficiently Explore a Wide Range of Climate Risk to Water Resource Systems.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. , 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000631 , 06016002.

Brown, C. M., Lund, J. R., Cai, X., Reed, P. M., Zagona, E. A., Ostfeld, A., ... & Brekke, L. (2015). The future of water resources systems analysis: Toward a scientific framework for sustainable water management. Water Resources Research, 51(8), 6110-6124.

Steinschneider, S., McCrary, R., Mearns, L., and C. Brown. (2015) The effects of climate model similarity on probabilistic climate projections and the implications for local, risk-based adaptation planning, Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 5014–5022, doi:10.1002/2015GL064529.

Steinschneider, S., McCrary, R., Wi, S., Mulligan, K., Mearns, L. O., & Brown, C. (2015). Expanded Decision-Scaling Framework to Select Robust Long-Term Water-System Plans under Hydroclimatic Uncertainties. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 04015023.

Poff, L., Brown, C., et al. (2015) Eco-engineering decision scaling for sustainable water management under future hydrologic uncertainty, Nature Climate Change doi:10.1038/nclimate2765.

Yang, Y-C., P. Ray, C. Brown, W. Yu, A. Khalil, (2015) “Estimation of flood damage functions for river basin planning - A case study in Bangladesh” Natural Hazards, doi:10.1007/s11069-014-1459-y

Steinschneider S., Wi S. and Brown C. (2014), “The integrated effects of climate and hydrologic uncertainty on future flood risk assessments,” Hydrol. Process., doi: 10.1002/hyp.10409

Whateley, S., S. Steinschneider, and C. Brown, (2014) “A climate change range-based method for estimating robustness for water resources supply,” Water Resources Research, DOI: 10.1002/2014WR015956

Hall, J. W., D. Grey, D. Garrick, F. Fung, C. Brown, S.J. Dadson, C.W. Sadoff, (2014) “Coping with the Curse of Variability: Adaptation Pathways to Water Security,” Science 346 (6208), 429-430.

S Wi, YCE Yang, S Steinschneider, A Khalil, CM Brown, (2014) “Calibration approaches for distributed hydrologic models using high performance computing: implication for streamflow projections under climate change,” Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2014.

Yang, Y-C., C. Brown, W. Yu, J. Wescoat Jr, and C. Ringler, (2014) "Water Governance and adaptation to climate change in the Indus River Basin" Journal of Hydrology, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.08.055

Ghile, Y., P. Moody and C. Brown, “Paleo-reconstructed Net Basin Supply Scenarios and their effect on levels in the Upper Great Lakes” Climatic Change doi:10.1007/s10584-014-1251-8.

Whateley, S., Palmer, R., and Brown, C. (2014). "Seasonal Hydroclimatic Forecasts as Innovations and the Challenges of Adoption by Water Managers." J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. , 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000466

Guswa, Andrew J., K. A. Brauman, C. Brown, P. Hamel, B. L. Keeler, and S.S. Sayre, (2014) “Ecosystem services: Challenges and opportunities for hydrologic modeling to support decision making,” Water Resources Research, 50(5), 4535-4544, doi:10.1002/2014WR015497.

Ghile, Y.B., M.U. Taner., C.M. Brown, and J.G. Grijsen, (2014) "Bottom-up climate risk assessment of infrastructure investment in the Niger River Basin," Climatic Change 122 (1-2), 97-11).

Steinschneider, S., Y-C. Yang, C.M. Brown, (2014) "Combining regression and spatial proximity for catchment model regionalization: a comparative study," Hydrologic Sciences Journal DOI:10.1080/02626667.2014.899701

Mulligan, K. B., C. Brown, Y.-C. E. Yang, and D. P. Ahlfeld (2014), “Assessing groundwater policy with coupled economic-groundwater hydrologic modeling,” Water Resour. Res., 50, doi:10.1002/2013WR013666.

Brown, C., Meeks, R., Ghile, Y. and K. Hunu (2013) “Does Water Security Matter? An empirical analysis of the effects of climate variables on national level economic growth. Philosophical Transactions A, doi: 10.1098/rsta.2012. vol. 371 no. 2002 20120416.

Yang, Y. C. E., Brown, C. M., Yu, W. H. and Savitsky, A.(2013). An Introduction to IBMR - A Hydro-Economic Model for the Climate Change Impact Assessment in the Indus River in Pakistan. Water International, 38(5): 632-650.

Steinschneider and Brown (2013) "A semiparametric multivariate, multi-site weather generator with low-frequency variability for use in climate risk assessments" Water Resouces Research.

Moody, P. and C. Brown (2013), “Robustness Indicators for Evaluation Under Climate Change: Application to the Upper Great Lakes” Water Resources Research.

Homa, E., C. Brown, K. McGarigal, B. Compton, and S. Jackson, (2013) "Estimating hydrologic alteration from basin characteristics in Massachusetts," Journal of Hydrology.

Steinschneider, S., Y-C. Yang, C.M. Brown, (2013) "Panel regression techniques for identifying impacts of anthropogenic landscape change on hydrologic response," Water Resources Research.

Weaver, C., R. Lempert, C. Brown, J. Hall, D. Revell, D. Sarewitz, (2013) “Improving the contribution of climate model information to decision making: the value and demands of robust decision frameworks” WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:39–60. doi: 10.1002/wcc.202

Steinschneider, S., A. Polebitski, C. Brown and B. Letcher, (2012) “A statistical framework to test the significance of hydrologic alteration under future climate scenarios” Water Resour. Res., 48, W11525, doi:10.1029/2011WR011318

Ward, M.N., C. Brown, K. Baraong, Y. Khalil, (2012) “Reservoir performance and dynamic management under plausible assumptions of future climate over seasons to decades” Climatic Change, doi: 10.1007/s10584-012-0616-0.

Steinschneider, S. and C. Brown (2012), Forecast-informed low-flow frequency analysis in a Bayesian framework for the northeastern United States, Water Resour. Res., 48, W10545, doi:10.1029/ 2012WR011860.

Moody, P. and C. Brown (2012), Modeling stakeholder-defined climate risk on the Upper Great Lakes, Water Resources Research, 48, W10524, doi:10.1029/2012WR012497.

Brown, C. and R. L. Wilby (2012), An alternate approach to assessing climate risks, Eos Trans. AGU, 93(41), 401, doi:10.1029/2012E0410001.

Homa, E., C. Brown, K. McGarigal, B. Compton, and S. jackson, "Estimating hydrologic alteration from basin characteristics in Massachusetts," Journal of Hydrology. Published.

Moody, P. and C. Brown, Robustness Indicators for Evaluation Under Climate Change: Application to the Upper Great Lakes, Water Resources Research. Accepted.

Weaver, C., R. Lempert, C. Brown,). Hall, D. Revell, D. Sarewitz, (2013) Improving the contribution of climate model information to decision making: the value and demands of robust decision frameworks. WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:39??60. doi: 10.1002/wcc.202.

Steinschneider and Brown, "A semi parametric multivariate, multi-site null Published weather generator with low-frequency variability for use in climate risk assessments" Water Resources Research. Accepted.

Steinschneider, S., A. Polebitski, C. Brown, and B. H. Letcher (2012), Toward a statistical framework to quantify the uncertainties of hydrologic response under,,climate change**, Water Resour. Res., 48, W11525, doi:10.1029/2011WR011318.

Ward, M.N., C. Brown, K. Baraong, Y. Khalil, (2012) Reservoir performance and dynamic management under plausible assumptions of future climate over seasons to decades. Climatic Change, doi: 10.1007 fs10584-012-0616-0.

Steinschneider, Polebitski, Brown, Letcher. A statistical framework to test the significance of hydrologic alteration under future climate scenarios. "Water Resources Research ", 2012. (accepted)

Steinschneider and Brown. Forecast-informed low-flow frequency analysis in a hierarchical Bayesian framework for the Eastern United States. "Water Resources Research ". (accepted)

Ward, Brown, Baraong, Khalil. Reservoir performance and dynamic management under plausible assumptions of future climate over seasons to decades. "Climatic Change". (accepted)

Weaver, Lempert, Brown, Hall, Revell, Sarewitz. Climate Modelling Needs for Supporting Robust Decision Frameworks. "WIRES Interdisciplinary Research Climate Change". (accepted)

Moody and Brown. Modeling Stakeholder Defined Climate Risk on the Upper Great Lakes. "Water Resources Research ", vol 48, number W10524, 2012. (accepted)

Brown, Ghile, Laverty, Li. Decision Scaling: Linking bottom-up vulnerability analysis with climate projections in the water sector. "Water Resources Research ", vol 48, number W09537, 2012.

Steinschneider and Brown. Dynamic reservoir management with real options risk hedging as a robust adaptation to nonstationary climate. "Water Resources Research ", vol 48, number W05524, 2012.

Brown, C. and M. Carriquiry, “Managing hydroclimatic risk with option contracts and reservoir index insurance,” Water Resources Research, 2007WR006093 (accepted)

Westra, S., Brown, C., Sharma, A., and U. Lall, "Modeling multivariable hydrological series: Principal Component Analysis or Independent Component Analysis?" Water Resources Research, 2006WR005617 (accepted)

Brown, C. and U. Lall. (2006) “Water and Economic Development: The Role of Variability and a Framework for Resilience,” Natural Resources Forum 30: 4, 306 – 317. doi:10.1111/j.1477-

8947.2006.00118.x

Xu, K., C. Brown, H-H. Kwon, U. Lall, J. Zhang, S. Hayashi and Z. Chen. (2006) “Climate Teleconnections to Yangtze River seasonal streamflow at the Three Gorges Dam, China,”International Journal of Climatology DOI: 10.1002/joc.1439.

Brown, C. and P. Rogers. (2006) “Effect of Forecast-based Pricing on Irrigated Agriculture: A

Simulation,” ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 122, 6, pp. 403-413.
Best Policy Oriented Paper Award, ASCE JWRPM 2006

*Brown, C. (2006) “Designing an Index of Vulnerability to Climate Variability” Proceedings of Global Water Hotspots: Water-related social vulnerabilities and resilience-building, 23-26 July, Hohenkammer, Germany.
*Best Policy Oriented Paper Award, ASCE, 2006

Brown, C., and P. Rogers. (2006) “Demand Management of Groundwater with Monsoon Forecasting,” Agricultural Systems 90, 293 - 311.

Honors

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research Award, 2014
College of Engineering Outstanding Junior Faculty Member, 2013
National Science Foundation Career Grant, 2011
Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering, 2006.
Best Policy Oriented Paper Award, ASCE J. of Water Res. Plan. & Man., 2006.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2001 – 2004.

Grants:

Recent Research Contracts Funded

DoD SERDP, “Climate-Informed Estimation of Hydrologic Extremes for Robust Adaptation to Non-Stationary Climate,” $1,525,000, 2015-2018.
Global Water Partnership, “Global Task Force on Water Security,” $128,000, 2013-2015.
The World Bank, “Hydro-economic modeling of the Brahmaputra Basin,” $148,000, 2013-2014.
The World Bank, “Assessment of water sharing and climate change on the Amu Darya,” $88,989, 2013-2104.
US Army Corps of Engineers, “Developing tools for conducting bottom-up climate risk assessment,” $100,000, 2013-2014.
International Food Policy Research Institute, “Energy-Food-Water nexus in the Indus Basin of Pakistan,” $70,000, 2012-2013.
NOAA, “Building a Knowledge Network of Water Managers for the Urban Northeast,” $200,000, 2012 – 2014.
Palmer, Richard; Brown, Casey, Decision- Scaling: Tailoring climate information for DoD Climate Risk Assessment, 3/29/2013-3/29/2015, $312,094.
Climate Risk Assessment for the Indus River Basin, 7/1/2012-7/31/2012, $20,000.
Exploring the Water Security-Environmental Sustainability Nexus, 10/1/2013 – 9/30/2015, $49,999.
Climate Change Implications for New Infrastructure in the Amu Darya basin, 1/1/2013- 12/31/2013, $39,960.
Development of a GAMS Model for Exploration of Various Water Resources Development, 11/1/2012- 6/30/2013, $49,999.
Bradley, Palmer, Brown, Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast, 10/1/2012 - 9/30/2013, $80,002.
Evaluation of Adaptive Management of Lake Superior amid Climate Variability and Change, $168,200.
NOAA Collaborative Development of Climate Information for the Connecticut River Basin using Shared Vision Forecasting, $300,872.
World Bank: Assessment of Climate Change Risks to the Niger Basin Investment Program, $119,662.
NSF: CAREER: Robust Water Management, $414,573.
R. Palmer, R. Bradley, and C. Brown, with Columbia University, Northeast Urban RISA (subcontract), $689,000 for UMass portion.
DOD SERDP Decision Scaling: A framework for DOD climate change risk assessment, $1,980,000.
NOAA "Building a Knowledge Network of Water Managers for the Urban Northeast", $280,000.
The World Bank, "Climate Risk Assessment of the Indus River Basin.", $173,000.
US Army Corps of Engineers, "Climate Risk Assessment and Management, $138,000.
Water Environment Research Foundation, "Transforming Our Cities: High Performance Green Infrastructure" (subcontract with Geo-Syntec). $67,000.
Earth Institute Cross Cutting Initiative, “Water, Poverty and Growth in Africa,” $27,000, 2007-2008.
NOAA, Sector Applications Research Program, “Urban Water Supply and Flood Control in the
Delaware River Basin,” $297,000 (co-PI), 2007-2009.
World Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership, “Design of a Water Vulnerability Index,” $99,000, 2007.
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, “Coming Down the Mountain: Climate Change and Water Resources in the Andes,” $50,000, 2007-2009.
PECASE, “Improving Economic Development through Prediction and Management of HydroClimate Variability,” 2006.
Harvard Program on Water and Health Research Grant, “Groundwater Management in Tamil, Nadu, India,” $5,000, 2004.

Experience

Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013 - present
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008-2013
Adjunct Associate Research Scientist, IRI, Columbia University, 2008-present
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science, Columbia University, 2007-2008
Associate Research Scientist, IRI for Climate and Society, Columbia University, 2006-2008