Rafael is an assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Studies Program. Rafael studies how rivers sustain ecosystems and societies—and how water infrastructure reshapes these vital connections. Previously, he led the water research program at Stanford’s Natural Capital Project.

Working across scales and geographic regions, Rafael leverages his background in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, water resources engineering, and information technology to develop novel and interdisciplinary approaches to pressing environmental challenges.

A special focus of his work has been to understand the impacts of river infrastructure, such as dams and reservoirs, on river processes and people in the fascinating rivers of South-East Asia, and to propose approaches to reduce these impacts in the future. Through this work, Rafael’s research intersects with topics such as decarbonization, food security, coastal resilience, and transboundary politics of large river basins.

Beyond authoring nearly 40 peer-reviewed papers, Rafael has worked intensively with multi-lateral organizations, governments, and non-profit organizations to make his research decision-relevant. Rafael holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Science, a M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering (from ETH Zurich) and a Ph.D. in Information Technology (from Politecnico di Milano).