Emanuel is a hydrogeologist leading BGS groundwater science in Wales. His research focuses on the resilience of urban groundwater systems, groundwater sustainability in global drylands, and the role of groundwater in poverty reduction and water security in developing countries.
Emanuel Zarate’s biography
- 2022 to present: Hydrogeologist, British Geological Survey
- 2018 to 2022: PhD Hydrogeology, Cardiff University and British Geological Survey
- 2016 to 2017: MSc Applied Geophysics, ETH Zurich
- 2014 to 2016: Geophysicist (Offshore), Horizon Geosciences
- 2011 to 2014: BSc Geophysics, Imperial College London
Current projects and collaborations
- CLARITY – Climate adaptation and resilience in tropical drylands
- Cardiff Urban Geo-Observatory – City-scale groundwater monitoring to better understand groundwater systems in urban environments
- Enhancing urban water security in Mexico – Developing tools and models for assessing the socio-hydrological resilience of cities in Mexico
- Philippine Hydro Hub – UK–Philippine partnership building a collaborative community of academics to advance hydrological research
- TerraFIRMA – Future Impacts, Risks and Mitigation Actions in a changing Earth system
- Indus Basin Salinity – Quantifying storage, fluxes and accumulation of salts across the Indus Basin
Books
- Zarate, E. 2023. The role of superficial geology in controlling groundwater recharge in drylands, (PhD Thesis, Cardiff University). ORCA.
Key papers
- Zarate, E, Andersen, M S, Rau, G C, Acworth, R I, Rutlidge, H, MacDonald, A M, and Cuthbert, M O. 2025. How alluvial storage controls spatiotemporal water balance partitioning in intermittent and ephemeral stream systems. Water Resources Research, 61(4), p.e2024WR037256.
- Zarate, E, Hobley, D, MacDonald, A M, Swift, R T, Chambers, J, Kashaigili, J J, Mutayoba, E, Taylor, R G, and Cuthbert, M O. 2021. The role of superficial geology in controlling groundwater recharge in the weathered crystalline basement of semi-arid Tanzania. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 36, p.100833.
- Hydrogeology
- Fieldwork in remote settings
- Python programming and data science
- Public engagement and outreach
- Member of the Internation Association of Hydrogeologists