Jose Carlos Borrero

I am a coastal scientist and engineer having studied civil, environmental, and coastal engineering at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. During my years at USC, I took a wide range of high level course work including units in earth science (active tectonics, sedimentology, marine geology and engineering geology), aerospace engineering (computational fluid dynamics) and civil engineering (earthquake engineering, structures (wood, steel, concrete), water and wastewater engineering, environmental chemistry and microbiology).

This broad base of study was ideal for my highly interdisciplinary PhD thesis work which focussed on the analysis of tsunami hazards including field studies, post-event damage assessments, numerical modelling, and community consultation for the production of tsunami inundation and evacuation maps. Since completing my PhD, I have continued to work in the area of tsunami hazard analysis staying at the forefront of this discipline and developing new tools and techniques for mitigating tsunami hazards with a particular focus on ports and maritime assets.

In addition to tsunami, I also have extensive experience assessing and mitigating other coastal hazards such as erosion, wave effects and overtopping and adaptation to climate change and sea level rise, particularly in tropical small island developing states (SIDS). I have led projects that combine field data collection, wave, hydrodynamic and sediment transport modelling, and engineering design to arrive at effective and workable solutions for dealing with coastal problems.

I have a keen interest in the design of nature-based solutions including submerged and multipurpose reefs for coastal protection and amenity enhancement, coastal plantings, dune management, beach rehabilitation, sea grass restoration and living shorelines. In the area of submerged reefs, I have worked on designs aimed at enhancing recreational amenities such as snorkelling or diving trails as well as for the creation of surf breaks. I have extensive experience in the area of surf break science including the characterisation and preservation of natural surf breaks and when possible, enhancement of surfing resources.