Professor Geoffrey Petts (1953–2018): An outstanding interdisciplinary river scientist

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction and an editorial to this special issue of River Research and Applications by documenting the contributions made by Professor Geoffrey Petts to our interdisciplinary understanding of the functioning of rivers and their floodplains and their sustainable management. We outline Geoff's career, which framed not only his research but its communication through his inspirational teaching but also included very high level and innovative contributions to the management and development of several UK universities. We then explain how and why Geoff was an outstanding interdisciplinary river scientist and how he communicated his science through both integrative books and book chapters and also research papers that developed eight complementary research themes. Lastly, we introduce the papers in this special issue and show how they provide inputs to Geoff's areas of research interest.

Innovative approaches in river management and restoration

“…However, since the 1980s this situation changed progressively, with the pace and significance of change varying considerably from one country to another. The present journal, created in 1986, was originally entitled "Regulated Rivers, Research and Applications" before becoming "River Research and Applications", and its founder, Geoff Petts, was part of this evolution in the use of science to improve practices and river quality, and thereby increasing human well-being (Gurnell et al 2019). Riverine Studies initially focused on natural sciences have progressively grown to include interdisciplinary groups composed of ecologists, geoscientists, chemists and social scientists, covering different fields and issue associated with riverine systems in their broadest sense.…”