Professor Salvatore Manfreda is an expert in hydrological monitoring and modelling, with a specific focus on stochastic hydrology, satellite remote sensing, and the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for water resource management. His academic career includes a significant tenure as a Research Associate at Princeton University (2004-2005) and various roles as a Visiting Professor at prestigious institutions in Spain and the Czech Republic. He is currently Full Professor of Hydraulic and Maritime Constructions and Hydrology (ICAR/02) at the University of Naples Federico II.
His scientific activity has led to the development of cutting-edge operational tools used globally:
- Hydrological Models: Developer of the DREAM and AD2 models, and soil moisture monitoring systems such as SMAR and SMAR-EnKF.
- UAS Monitoring: A pioneer in the application of optical techniques for river monitoring (VISION, SDI).
- Flood Mapping: Development of tools for rapid flood mapping and risk assessment (GFI, GFI 2.0, GFA).
He holds key leadership positions that shape the global scientific agenda in hydrology:Chair of the MOXXI working group (Measurements and Observations in the 21st Century) of the IAHS.
Member of the WMO HydroHub Think Tank (World Meteorological Organization).
European Coordinator of COST Action HARMONIOUS, a project involving 36 countries dedicated to harmonizing UAS techniques for environmental monitoring.
Keynote Speaker: Recently invited to deliver the keynote at the “Echoes of the River” conference in the Philippines (2026) to discuss large-scale flood risk strategies.
With over 210 scientific publications, his contributions are highly cited within the global community:
Google Scholar: 8,012 citations, h-index 43, i10-index 117.
Scopus: 5,446 citations, h-index 39.
ResearchGate: h-index 41 (99th percentile).
Competitive Research Projects
He has attracted competitive funding from European, national and regional programmes. Main projects:
- [2026–29] INTEGRATOR – Integrated Innovation Ecosystems for Transformative Nexus Governance towards Enhanced Water Resilience, Horizon Europe Innovation Action, Cluster 6; 18-partner consortium coordinated by Boğaziçi University (Türkiye) – Local Coordinator (PI of the University of Naples Federico II unit)
- [2023–26] OurMED – Sustainable water storage and distribution in the Mediterranean, PRIMA – Thematic Area 1, Water Management 2022 – Local Coordinator
- [2023–25] CHANCES – An integrated modeling approach for mitigating climate CHANge effects through enhanCEd weathering in Southern Italy, PRIN PNRR – Local Coordinator
- [2023–25] RiverWatch – A citizen-science approach to river pollution monitoring, PRIN – Local Coordinator
- [2022–24] RETURN – Multi-Risk sciEnce for resilienT commUnities undeR a changiNg climate (CF 10123341215) – Multi-Risk Resilience of Critical Infrastructures
- [2020–23] MATCAS – Hydraulic risk mitigation in coastal basins with in-line detention basins: an integrated design approach, Italian Ministry of the Environment – research projects for geological risk forecasting and prevention (CUP E68D20000010001) – Local Coordinator
- [2019–22] iAqueduct – An integrative information aqueduct to close the gaps between global satellite observation of water cycle and local sustainable management of water resources, Water JPI – Joint Call 2018 WaterWorks2017 – Italian Coordinator (European Coordinator: Prof. Bob Su)
- [2019–22] SPRINt – Integrated strategies for wildfire risk prevention, monitoring and community awareness, Fondazione CON IL SUD – Research Unit Coordinator
- [2017–21] HARMONIOUS – Harmonization of UAS techniques for agricultural and natural ecosystems monitoring, COST Action CA16219 (costharmonious.eu) – European Coordinator (Action Chair)
- [2017–18] Pietro della Valle – Soil moisture monitoring in semi-arid environments, MIUR bilateral programme – Coordinator
He serves on the Editorial Board of several high-impact journals, including:Drones, Ecohydrology (Wiley), Hydrology, and Plants.
Guest Editor for special issues in journals such as Water, Remote Sensing, and Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Expert Reviewer for the European Commission (Horizon 2020) and European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).
Teaching & Mentorship
He currently teaches advanced courses such as Advanced Technologies for Hydrological Monitoring and Hydraulic Construction at the University of Naples Federico II. Throughout his career, he has mentored over 50 Master’s students and 18 Ph.D. candidates from diverse international backgrounds, including India, Chile, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Selected Awards
Ibn Shabbat – Tunisia Water Award (Ibn Shabbat Medal – Excellence in Water Sciences), Tunis (Tunisia), 2 June 2026 — conferred in recognition of scientific excellence, leadership, and lasting contribution to the advancement of water sciences and environmental sustainability.
Best Paper Award (2022) from the journal Remote Sensing.
Junior Enrico Marchi Lecture (2014), a prestigious recognition from the Italian Hydraulic Group (GII).
Best Oral Presentation Award at GISDAY (2022, 2023) for his work on complex territorial systems and GIS technologies.
Research Contracts and Agreements
[2025-26] Consultancy agreement with Consorzio Marina di Rotondella — two-dimensional hydraulic modelling for the re-delineation of flooded areas at the Sinni River mouth.
[2025-26] Technical support contract no. 202620031 — Hydraulic Modelling Support for the Implementation of New What-if Scenarios in IRIDE Cyber Italy PH3, e-GEOS.
[2025-28] Scientific coordinator of the Collaboration Agreement for the development of new strategies for environmental monitoring in the Campania region — Directorate-General for Soil Protection and Ecosystem, Campania Region.
[2024-26] Scientific coordinator of the Collaboration Agreement for the development of a hydrological budget model and the design of the hydro-pluviometric monitoring network of the Southern Apennines District — CINID for the Southern Apennines District Authority.
[2022-24] Scientific coordinator of the agreement “Dam Emergency Plan (PED) of the San Giuliano reservoir and preparatory hydrological-hydraulic modelling studies of the watercourses feeding the reservoirs of the Bradano River basin”.
[2022-24] Scientific coordinator of the agreement on the assessment of hydrological forcings for the definition of flood risks in the Southern Apennines area — CINID for the Southern Apennines District Authority.
[2020-22] Scientific coordinator of the agreement for the planning of interventions to mitigate hydrogeological risk at the municipal level — Municipality of Picerno (PZ).
[2020-21] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement on the identification and analysis of the main hydraulic criticalities of the Basento River and the development of a Strategic Intervention Plan for flood protection — Special Commissioner for Hydrogeological Risk Mitigation, Basilicata Region.
[2020-21] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement on the identification and analysis of the main hydraulic criticalities of the Bradano River and the development of a Strategic Intervention Plan for flood protection — Special Commissioner for Hydrogeological Risk Mitigation, Basilicata Region.
[2018-19] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement “Hydraulic studies on river reaches downstream of the Lucanian dams” — Soil Protection Office, Basilicata Region.
[2018] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement “High-resolution mapping using UAS” — Geoatlas srl.
[2015-19] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement “Early warning systems for the start-up of the Basilicata Decentralised Functional Centre” — Civil Protection of the Basilicata Region.
[2012-16] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement “Implementation and testing of hydrological risk warning and control systems” — Civil Protection of the Basilicata Region.
[2011-12] Scientific coordinator of the research agreement “Optimisation of a hydrological model for inflow forecasting at a hydropower plant” — RSE spa.
Contact Information
DICEA, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy.
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e-mail: salvatore.manfreda at unina.it | 🌐 www.salvatoremanfreda.it.