Introduction [Progress in modern hydrology: past, present and future]

This is the introductory chapter of the book which reviews the development of modern hydrology primarily, but not exclusively, through the experiences of the scientists and engineers at Wallingford, near Oxford, who have been at the forefront of many of the developments in hydrological research over last 50 years. The United Kingdom shares most of the hydrological problems that affect other nations, excepting those concerned with glaciers, ice and large rivers. The regular passage of Atlantic low-pressure systems ensures that the United Kingdom is one of the wettest countries in Europe. An extension of this study was one on floods for some 33 countries ‘the World Flood Study’. This work ran in parallel with similar initiatives at the global, regional and national levels. The study focused on catchments and estuaries of the UK's east coast, for example the Humber.