Megan Klaar

Dr Megan Klaar is an Associate Professor in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, specialising in hydroecology, natural flood management and water resource resilience. Her research explores how ecology, hydrology and geomorphology interact to shape river systems, with a particular focus on how landscapes can be managed to deliver multiple ecosystem benefits and reduce flood risk.

An interdisciplinary scientist, she works on topics ranging from the effectiveness of instream natural flood management measures to the role of instream wood in shaping river habitats and improving water quality. She also investigates how extreme hydrological events affect ecological communities and landscape recovery, and how hydroecological evidence can inform more sustainable water management policy.

Before joining academia, Megan worked across the water industry, environmental charities and environmental regulation; experience that now underpins her applied approach to river management and policy engagement. She regularly supervises researchers working on topics including flood risk, biodiversity, climate impacts on river flows, and watershed restoration. Her work contributes to the University of Leeds’ water@leeds research community and the UK’s growing evidence base for nature based solutions.