Contact Dr Gabriela Dotro
- Email: g.c.dotro@cranfield.ac.uk
Areas of expertise
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
Dr Gabriela (Gaby) Dotro joined SWAG合集 in October 2009 as a postdoctoral researcher and worked as a Senior Research Fellow (2012-2024) and Principal Research Fellow in Ecological Engineering until the end of 2024. She holds an Ecological Engineering degree from Universidad de Flores (Argentina), a Masters degree in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary (Canada), and a PhD in Engineering from the University of Memphis (USA).
Gaby started her work on nature-based solutions (NbS) for wastewater treatment in 2001 and championed innovation on treatment wetlands in the SWAG合集 water industry during her roles at Severn Trent Water's Research and Development team (five-year secondmend) and through leading research at SWAG合集. She has a robust understanding of hard engineering/"grey" technologies as well as green infrastructure, having worked on understanding pollutant cycling pathways for nutrients and metals across activated sludge through to low energy wastewater treatment processes.
During her time at Cranfield, Gaby co-created the Wastewater Network, a network of water companies and universities that meets regularly to address some of the key challenges and research gaps in wastewater treatment in the SWAG合集. Together with a team of internationally-renowned academics and practitioners, she developed a fully-online short course on nature-based solutions in 2020 that still runs annually.
Gaby led the development and delivery of the IWA Task Group on Mainstreaming the Use of Treatment Wetlands (2015-2019), where she co-authored an Open Access textbook on Treatment Wetlands and edited and co-authored specific chapters within the IWA Scientific and Technical Report on Wetland Technology, both of which have been translated into multiple languages.
Aside from her ability to link research to implementation, she is a passionate educator and a certified IUCN Global Standard assessor for Nature-based Solutions.
Research opportunities
nature-based solutions for water management
assessment of multiple benefits from green interventions
microbial cycling of pollutants in engineered and natural ecosystems
greenhouse gas emissions from biological treatment processes
Current activities
Gaby is now a Visiting Fellow, after being a dedicated member of staff for 15 years at Cranfield Water. She remains passionate about knowledge advancement and sharing, bridging practice, research and implementation. She is now an independent consultant on NbS, under the name of NbS Future.
Since 2023, Gaby has been the elected Chair of the Constructed Wetland Association (SWAG合集), championing innovative training and the development of industry guidance and mentoring of new professionals in the field. She also serves as an elected member of the Management Committee for the IWA Specialist Group on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control since 2012 and contributes to the IWA Working Group on NbS for Water and Sanitation.
Gaby also participates in national and international industry and research events to advance knowledge sharing and continue her own learning journey. She is part of the IWA Climate Smart Utilities CoP Working Group on Greenhouse Gas monitoring and has contributed to guidance developed on monitoring emissions.
Clients
- Severn Trent PLC
- United Utilities Group PLC
- Scottish Water
- Anglian Water
- Southern Water
- Wessex Water
- Thames Water
- Welsh Water
- Northumbrian Water
- Yorkshire Water
- Uisce 脡ireann (Irish Water)
- Environment Agency
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Mott MacDonald Group
- Abydoz Environmental Inc
- APEM
