Louisiana Watershed Flood Center at UL Lafayette

04/23/2026

🔴 UL Lafayette leading international flood resilience project

A research team from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette recently met with U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole D. Theriot during a visit supporting a major U.S.-funded flood resilience project.

Backed by more than $697,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the initiative is led by Emad Hosny Habib, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the University’s Louisiana Watershed Flood Center and its Institute for Coastal and Water Research UL Lafayette (ICaWR). It focuses on flood resilience and climate adaptation for communities across the Caribbean region, including the South American nation of Guyana.

“The project illustrates the global impact of our research and education programs" at UL Lafayette and its College of Engineering, Habib said.

The team is working to develop advanced flood modeling tools, build critical data systems, and train local professionals to sustain these efforts long term.

The project is in collaboration with McGill University, Imperial College London, and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

Article: https://louisiana.edu/news/ul-lafayette-leading-international-flood-resilience-project






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College of Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

03/25/2026

Congratulations to our director, Emad Hosny Habib, who received the award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Externally Funded (1M +) Research' during the Research Recognition Ceremony hosted by the UL Lafayette Research on March 13, 2026.

Dr. Habib is also the Director of the Institute for Coastal and Water Research UL Lafayette and a Professor in the UL Lafayette College of Engineering.

Pictured: L-R - Ramesh Kolluru, President, Emad Habib, Jaimie Hebert, Provost, and Kumer Pial Das, Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development.

10/24/2025

Join us next weekend, November 1st and 2nd at the Abbeville Giant Omelette Celebration to share your community's experiences with local water hazards and crises!

History Harvest: Memories of Vermilion’s Water Hazards & Crises Dr. Liz Skilton [email protected], (337) 482-5032.  Dr. Emad Habib [email protected]     …

04/07/2025

UL Lafayette is leading a multi-state research project aimed at helping Gulf Coast communities mitigate and respond to flooding.

The $5.8-million project hopes to help communities in three states prepare for and respond to floods.

04/04/2025

Today, we are hosting a National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Annual Meeting at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Project: Reversing Disproportionate Impacts of Hydroclimatic Extremes in Water Rich Regions via Justice Minded Research and Collaborative Adaptation Planning

The University of Alabama
Jackson State University
Tulane University
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
LSU

03/25/2025

Pleased to share our new publication, where we show how stakeholder engagement and incorporation of communities' local knowledge can be used to inform the design and long-term sustainability of flood risk streamflow monitoring networks. The work was the foundation behind the design and implementation of a statewide stream monitoring network for Louisiana, developed as part of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative in collaboration with several federal (USGS, USACE, NWS), state agencies (OCD, DOTD, DEQ, LDWF), and with input from various local organizations.

Thank you to my co-authors at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Mohamed ElSaadani, Ph.D.; Brian Miles; Robert L. Miller, PhD, PE) and Tulane University (Ehab M.; Mead Allison; Kelin Hu). The article is publicly available through the following link.

View article - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1752-1688.70007?af=R&fbclid=IwY2xjawJP3KBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXSNtNiSvayHG7Q0sffGttmmKIiI0N9uTUaU7KqAJb0UOF57_J-YYqZFLw_aem_0NCdsYgdCIsZbsEuoGahZg

11/27/2024

Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for your support. Our offices will be closed on November 28 & 29.

08/18/2024

Emad Hosny Habib shares his experience on his trip to Guyana to kick off the National Science Foundation (NSF) flood risk project in the Caribbean region.

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Just returned from our first trip to Guyana to kick off our new NSF flood risk project in the Caribbean region. Guyana is a unique country, with rich history and diverse cultures, and big opportunities for studying flood resilience in the midst of huge economic growth driven by the recent discovery of one the world largest offshore oil reserves. During our trip, we visited with many local stakeholders, the country disaster management agency, and the world bank Caribbean staff. The highlight of our trip was a special visit with the honorable Prime Minister of Guyana who extended his government support to our project and left us with a challenge to collaboratively address flood risk and climate adaptation in a country he referred to as “one huge construction site”.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette
UL Lafayette Research
UL Lafayette College of Engineering
Institute for Coastal and Water Research UL Lafayette

07/31/2024

$5.8M NSF-funded project tackles impacts of Gulf climate extremes

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Dr. Emad Habib is leading a new $5.8 million research project to address increasing flood risks and disproportionate impacts of climate extremes along the U.S. Gulf region. The research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR.

Habib is an Endowed Chair and Professor of Civil Engineering and director of the Louisiana Watershed Flood Center and the Institute for Coastal and Water Research UL Lafayette.

This project, involving six major universities led by UL Lafayette, aims to provide vital support and solutions for communities most affected by these challenges. Three critical regions in the U.S. Gulf being targeted in this initiative include the Acadiana region in South Central Louisiana, the Mobile Bay region in Alabama, and the city of Jackson and surrounding communities in Mississippi. Universities collaborating with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on this project include The University of Alabama, Jackson State University, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and Tuskegee University.



Read more -

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Dr.

06/13/2024

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been awarded more than $697,000 as part of an international initiative to examine flood resilience and climate adaptation for coastal communities in the