Personal profile
Artistic and research interests
I am professor of Water Resources Management with a focus on water, environment and development research and consultation. My research concentrates on sustainable development and water resources management in developing and emerging economies, particularly in Asia. In my particular interest are global water resources and their interrelations to sectors such as agriculture and energy, and in relation to drivers such as climate change, urbanization, poverty, environment and economic development.
I am active in several international organizations including UNESCO, WMO, IWRA (Vice President 2007-2009), IWA, IIASA and UNU/WIDER. I was a Vice Dean of Reseach and Innovation of Aalto School of Engineering in 2013-2018, Counsellor at the Supreme Administrational Court of Finland in 2006-2015, and am Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctoral degree, Engineering and Technology, Helsinki University of Technology
Award Date: 9 Dec 1991
Licentiate degree, Engineering and Technology, Helsinki University of Technology
Award Date: 14 Mar 1988
Master's degree, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki
Award Date: 16 Dec 1986
Master's degree, Engineering and Technology, Helsinki University of Technology
Award Date: 23 Oct 1984
Keywords
- Water resources
- Water engineering
- Large river basins
- Water resources management
- Social and environmental impact assessment
- Water and security studies
- Vulnerability analyses
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Call for the mainstreaming of eutrophication in global water assessments and policies
Varis, O. & Zhao, D., Dec 2026, In: npj Clean Water. 9, 1, 6 p., 23.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › Scientific
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Mapping world's coastal population facing water-related risks
Varis, O., Taka, M. & Kummu, M., Feb 2026, In: Geography and Sustainability. 7, 1, 12 p., 100411.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Unpacking climate governance and SDG interactions : A multilevel governance framework and dynamic network analysis
Liu, Y. Q., Feng, C., Pradhan, P., Varis, O., Hickmann, T. & Hubacek, K., May 2026, In: Environmental Science and Policy. 179, 104379.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
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Writing a Scientific Paper with Master’s Students in Five Weeks — One Example of How It Can Be Done & Lessons Learned
Juvakoski, A., Chen, X., Sundman, J., Muhonen, M., Taka, M. & Varis, O., 7 May 2026.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Scientific
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Bridging gaps, saving lives : Integrating communities’ voices and impact mapping into flood early warning systems in rural Nepal
Shrestha, A., McCrone, A., Láng-Ritter, J., Gautam, S., Taka, M. & Varis, O., 15 Feb 2025, In: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 118, 14 p., 105238.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Citations (Scopus)58 Downloads (Pure)
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InnoWAT (MVTT): InnoWAT: Ongelmalähtöisen opetuksen kehittäminen vesialalla (2025–2029)
Varis, O. (Principal investigator) & Lagundaridze, M. (Project Member)
01/09/2025 → 31/12/2029
Project: Unknown
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Climate Smart WASH (MVTT): Climate Smart WASH (Ilmastoviisas vesihuolto, sanitaatio ja hygienia (Nepal))
Varis, O. (Principal investigator) & Halme, V. (Project Member)
01/01/2025 → 31/12/2028
Project: Other Domestic (10 AC)
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SA Profi2 Varis T21304
Mäkelä, K. (Principal investigator) & Varis, O. (Project Member)
01/04/2016 → 31/08/2020
Project: Academy of Finland: Competitive funding to strengthen university research profiles
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From Failand to Winland
Varis, O. (Principal investigator), Keskinen, M. (Project Member), Sojamo, S. (Project Member), Huotari, E. (Project Member), Jalava, M. (Project Member), Porkka, M. (Project Member), Lehikoinen, E. (Project Member), Salminen, E. (Project Member) & Niva, V. (Project Member)
01/04/2016 → 31/08/2019
Project: Academy of Finland: Strategic research funding
Datasets
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How Close Do We Live to Water? A Global Analysis of Population Distance to Freshwater Bodies
Kummu, M. (Creator), de Moel, H. (Creator), Ward, P. J. (Creator) & Varis, O. (Creator), Dryad Digital Repository, 20 Dec 2017
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.71c6r, http://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.71c6r
Dataset
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Data for 'Climate change risks to push one-third of global food production outside Safe Climatic Space'
Kummu, M. (Creator), Heino, M. (Creator), Taka, M. (Creator), Varis, O. (Creator) & Viviroli, D. (Creator), Zenodo, 19 Apr 2021
Dataset
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Data from: The planet's stressed river basins: too much pressure or too little adaptive capacity?
Varis, O. (Creator), Taka, M. (Creator) & Kummu, M. (Creator), Dryad Digital Repository, 12 Sept 2019
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h2v2398, https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.h2v2398
Dataset
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Data from: Global migration is driven by the complex interplay between environmental and social factors
Niva, V. (Creator), Kallio, M. (Creator), Muttarak, R. (Creator), Taka, M. (Creator), Varis, O. (Creator) & Kummu, M. (Creator), Zenodo, 12 Oct 2021
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5562037, https://zenodo.org/api/records/5562038
Dataset
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Data for: World's human migration patterns in 2000-2019 unveiled by high-resolution data
Niva, V. (Creator), Horton, A. (Creator), Virkki, V. (Creator), Heino, M. (Creator), Kallio, M. (Creator), Kinnunen, P. (Creator), Abel, G. J. (Creator), Muttarak, R. (Creator), Taka, M. (Creator), Varis, O. (Creator) & Kummu, M. (Creator), Zenodo, 28 Jul 2023
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7997133, https://zenodo.org/record/7997134
Dataset
Prizes
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Aalto Excellence Award 2018
Keskinen, M. (Recipient), Varis, O. (Recipient), Kummu, M. (Recipient), Taka, M. (Recipient), Ahopelto, L. (Recipient), Fallon, A. (Recipient), Heino, M. (Recipient), Kallio, M. (Recipient), Kinnunen, P. (Recipient) & Niva, V. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Award or honor granted for a specific work
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Aalto Pioneering Excellence Award 2021
Keskinen, M. (Recipient), Varis, O. (Recipient), Kummu, M. (Recipient), Taka, M. (Recipient), Ahopelto, L. (Recipient), Fallon, A. (Recipient), Niva, V. (Recipient), Heino, M. (Recipient), Kinnunen, P. (Recipient) & Kallio, M. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Award or honor granted for a specific work
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Best Research Paper 2023 Award
Feng, X. (Recipient), Sundman, J. (Recipient), Aarnio, H. (Recipient), Taka, M. (Recipient), Keskinen, M. (Recipient) & Varis, O. (Recipient), 14 Sept 2023
Prize: Award or honor granted for a specific work
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Best Student Paper Award:
Shrestha, A. (Recipient), Sundman, J. (Recipient), Lamsal, S. (Recipient), Láng-Ritter, J. (Recipient), Taka, M. (Recipient) & Varis, O. (Recipient), 18 Sept 2025
Prize: Award or honor granted for a specific work
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Environmental Research Letters: Best paper award 2010
Varis, O. (Recipient), 2010
Prize: Award or honor granted for a specific work
Activities
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"General worrying about everything" - student experiences of PhD process through a journey mapping approach
Taka, M. (Speaker), Aarnio, H. (Speaker), Suviniitty, J. (Contributor) & Varis, O. (Contributor)
2 Oct 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Conference presentation
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Helsinki Design Week
Muhonen, M. (Organiser), Sundman, J. (Chair) & Varis, O. (Member)
6 Sept 2023 → 6 Oct 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organization of an event for a non-academic audience (public outreach)
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2017 China Europe Water Platform (CEWP) Annual High-Level Dialogue Conference, Turku, 21-22 September 2017, Finland
Varis, O. (Keynote speaker) & Cai, J. (Contributor)
21 Sept 2017 → 22 Sept 2017Activity: Talk or presentation types › Academic keynote or plenary lecture
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Water International (Journal)
Varis, O. (Editorial board member)
2015Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Membership of an editorial board
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Vesitalous (Journal)
Varis, O. (Editorial board member)
2015Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Membership of an editorial board
Press/Media
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The Real Drivers of Global Migration: A Twenty-Year Analysis Debunks Common Narrative
Kummu, M., Varis, O., Kallio, M., Taka, M., Virkki, V., Heino, M. & Niva, V.
08/11/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance
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Aalto University: New Flagship Brings Together Excellence in Quantum Technology
Mikola, A., Koivusalo, H., Liljeroth, P., Keskinen, M., Kummu, M., Hyvönen, N., Varis, O., Lotsari, E. & Sarvimäki, M.
27/10/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance
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Kahovkan padon korjaaminen on mahdollista, jos perustukset eivät ole vaurioituneet, arvioivat suomalaisasiantuntijat
07/06/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance
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Research Data from Aalto University Update Understanding of Sustainable Development (Delivery of Energy Sustainability: Applications of the "star" Protocol To the Sustainable Development Goal 7 Index and Its Interaction Analysis)
Varis, O. & Zhao, D.
15/03/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance
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WAT Thesis: Doctoral Thesis Process Summaries from Water and Environmental Engineering Research Group, 2002–2022
10/02/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance