Edgar Espitia

Research Assistant

01-11-2025 to Current

Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change group. Department of Geography, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.

Postprocessing the meteorological downscaled ECMWF seasonal forecast from 1993 to 2024.

Postprocessing of bias corrected precipitation and temperature of climate scenarios for Germany.

Research Assistant

12-01-2025 to 31-10-2025

Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU). Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.

Implementation of the delta quantile mapping bias correction method for precipitation and temperature of climate scenarios for Germany.

Research Assistant

01-03-2022 to 30-11-2024

Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU). Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.

• Implementing a hydrological seasonal forecast over German catchments, using the hydrological model LISFLOOD.
• Climate data management, compilation, preprocessing and post-processing for AI downscaling and bias correction.
• Writitng administrative and scientific reports.

Research Assistant Professor

01-10-2017 to 31-01-2022

Ikiam Amazon Regional University. Faculty of Earth and Water Sciences Faculty, program of Hydrology. Tena, Ecuador.

• Hydrological modelling of the upper Napo River basin.
• Development, maintenance and operation of the hydrometeorological network upper Napo River basin.
• Water quality monitoring of water bodies for dinking and irrigation purposes in the amazon and the paramos region of Ecuador.

Junior Researcher

01-01-2017 to 30-06-2017

Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Department of hydrophysics and hydrological forecast. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Adaptation of mathematical models of probabilistic formation of typical annual flow characteristics for physical-geographical conditions of Russia to ensure stability of solutions in modeling for forecast.

Junior Researcher

01-01-2015 to 31-12-2016

Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Department of hydrophysics and hydrological forecast. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Sensitivity analysis of multiannual flows and the main water-dependent economic sectors with respect to climate change.

Junior Researcher

01-03-2010 to 31-03-2011

National University of Colombia, Water Resources Engineering Research Group – GIREH. Bogota, Colombia.

Numerical modeling of natural phenomena and hazards. Reactive transport in porous media.

Research Assistant Professor

01-10-2017 to 31-01-2022

Ikiam Amazon Regional University. Faculty of Earth and Water Sciences Faculty, program of Hydrology. Tena, Ecuador.

Teacher of:

• Applied Hydrology
• Water supply and treatment systems
• Water and Sanitation
• Hydrogeology

Teaching assistant

08-02-2016 to 26-06-2016

Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Department of hydrophysics and hydrological forecast. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Teaching practices (108 hours) in the subjects:

• Water Balance
• Hydrological Forecasting
• Numerical Methods for Hydrological Forecasting
• Computer Technologies and Geographic Information System in Hydrometeorology

Assistant Engineer

11-04-2011 to 15-11-2011

INGETEC S.A., Department of Hydrology and drainage. Bogota, Colombia.

• Analysis and processing hydrometeorological and geographical information. Preparation of technical reports.
• Hydrological and hydraulic modelling.
• Scour studies.
• Analysis of road drainage structures.

Assistant Engineer

31-12-2009 to 01-03-2011

National University of Colombia, Water Resources Research Group (GIREH). Bogota, Colombia.

Analysis and processing of hydrometeorological information for evaluating the impact of the construction of the “Sumapaz” and “La Linea” road tunnels on the surrounding hydrosystems.

Researcher, Researcher and Lecturer

2014 - 2017

Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Saint Petersburg, Russia

Continental Hydrology, water resource and Hydrochemistry

Master of Applied hydrometeorology

2012 - 2014

Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Saint Petersburg, Russia

Applied Hydrology: Hydrological Forecast

Civil engineering

2004 - 2009

National University of Colombia. Bogota, Colombia

Studies of civil engineering

English

C1 (IELTS)

Russian

Certificate granting access to higher education in Russian

German

A2 (Language School level )

Spanish

Mother language

Fonseca, K., Espitia-Sarmiento, E. F., Ilbay-Yupa, M., & Breuer, L. (2024). Integrating community knowledge into nature-based solutions for the sustainability of water ecosystem services: Insight from local communities in Ecuador. Frontiers in Sustainability, 5, 1491776. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1491776.

Fonseca, K., Acero Triana, J. S., Ramírez, M., Martínez, W., Ilbay, M., Espitia-Sarmiento, E., & Breuer, L. (2024). Assessing the potential of nature-based solutions as sustainable land and water management strategies in the high tropical Andean páramo ecosystem. Journal of Environmental Management, 372, 123350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123350.

Fonseca Largo, Kalina Marcela & Espitia, Edgar & Breuer, Lutz & Correa, Alicia. (2022). Using fuzzy cognitive maps to promote nature-based solutions for water quality improvement in developing-country communities. Journal of Cleaner Production. 377. 134246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134246 .

Hurtado-Pidal, J., Acero Triana, J. S., Aguayo, M., Link, O., Valencia, B. G., Espitia-Sarmiento, E., & Conicelli, B. Is forest location more important than forest fragmentation for flood regulation? Ecological Engineering, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2022.106764.

Chancay, J.E., Espitia-Sarmiento, E.F. Improving hourly precipitation estimates for flash flood modeling in data-scarce andean-amazon basins: An integrative framework based on machine learning and multiple remotely sensed data. Remote Sensing (2021) https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13214446.

Galarza, E., Cabrera, M., Espinosa, R., Espitia, E., Moulatlet, G.M., Capparelli, M.,V. Assessing the Quality of Amazon Aquatic Ecosystems with Multiple Lines of Evidence: The Case of the Northeast Andean Foothills of Ecuador. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-03089-0.

Fonseca Largo, K.M.; Ruiz Depablos, J.L.; Espitia-Sarmiento, E.F.; Campaña Pallasco, E.A.; Moreno Chicaiza, E.L. (2021). Fitorremediación de aguas contaminadas con arsénico mediante islas flotantes artificiales: revisión bibliográfica. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía / Universidad del Zulia /Venezuela/ Vol. 38 Núm. 1 https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v38.n1.010.

Fonseca Largo, K.M.; Ruiz Depablos, J.L.; Espitia-Sarmiento, E.F.; Llugsha Moreta, N.M. Artificial Floating Island with Vetiver for Treatment of Arsenic-Contaminated Water: A Real Scale Study in High-Andean Reservoir. Water 2020, 12, 3086, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113086.

Hurtado-Pidal, J.; Acero Triana, J.S.; Espitia-Sarmiento, E.; Jarrín-Pérez, F. Flood Hazard Assessment in Data-Scarce Watersheds Using Model Coupling, Event Sampling, and Survey Data. Water 2020, 12, 2768, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102768.

Espitia, E., Díaz Esteban, Y., Haupt, M., Adakudlu, M., Vlachopoulos, O., & Xoplaki, E. (2025). A multi-criteria evaluation of the performance of bias correction using Delta Quantile Mapping for simulated precipitation over Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8427.

Espitia , E. F., Diaz Esteban, Y., Heidari, F., Lin, Q., & Xoplaki, E. (2024). Evaluation of the performance of hydrological model LISFLOOD using the ECMWF seasonal meteorological forecast at 1arcmin-1day spatiotemporal resolution over German catchments. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17041.

Espitia Sarmiento, E. F., Heidari, F., Lin, Q., & Xoplaki, E. (2023). Evaluation of the performance of the 1-arc min hydrological model LISFLOOD in German catchments. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15296.

Espitia, E., Heidari, F., Lin, Q., Vischer, M., & Xoplaki, E. (2022). Evaluating the performance of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Networks for rainfall–runoff modelling in large catchments. https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2022-541.

Díaz Esteban, Y., Lin, Q., Heidari, F., Espitia Sarmiento, E. F., & Xoplaki, E. (2025). Improving seasonal forecasts for early warning systems in Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15861.

Díaz Esteban, Y., Lin, Q., Hrast Essenfelder, A., Toreti, A., Heidari, F., Espitia Sarmiento, E. F., & Xoplaki, E. (2024). Statistical downscaling of seasonal forecast temperature using a climate-informed AI approach. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19311.

Hurtado Pindal, J. R., Espitia Sarmiento, E. F., & Suntaxi Aluisa, F. (2018). Climatic Characterization Of Ecuatorian Littoral Zone. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/EGU2018-11513.pdf.

L D Donado & E F Espitia. (2010). Analysis of multi-specie reactive transport in heterogeneous media under kinetic reactions. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AGUFM.H51C0917D/abstract.

Espitia S. E. F.; Kachalova A. E.; Gaidukova E. V.; Victorova N. V. Short-term forecasts of water consumption of rivers in Colombia by mathematical models. 2017. № 05 (59) Part 2. Pag. 183 – 189. doi:10.23670/IRJ.2017.59.024 http://research-journal.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/05-2-59.pdf#page=183 (In Russian language).

Bongu. S. E.; Espitia E.F.; Gaidukova E. V.; Victorova N. V. Scenario assessment of evaporation of Benin watersheds. 2016 № 6. Natural and technical sciences. Pag. 74 – 77. ISSN: 2303-9868eISSN: 2227-6017. https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=26585984 (In Russian language).

Espitia E.F.; Gaidukova E.V.; Kovalenko. V.V. Short-term forecast of river discharge for Colombia with the fractal diagnosis. Scientific Notes of the Russian State Hydrometeorological University. ISBN 2074-2762 2017. № 47 Pag. 16 – 24. https://www.rshu.ru/university/notes/archive/issue47/maket-47el-16-24.pdf (In Russian language).

Project: Warmi kari kuna: for the sustainable use of natural resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

01-11-2021 to 28-02-2023

Tena, Ecuador

Funding by:European Comision.

Rol : Water Resources Specialist. Amount : 10 000 USD

Project: Real-time hydrometeorological monitoring of the Tena River flood zone.

01-06-2019 to 20-07-2020

Tena, Ecuador

Funding by:Ikiam Amazon Regional University.

Rol: Project director. Amount: 2 000 USD

Development and maintenance of the hydrometeorological monitoring network. Acquisition of field equipment acquisition for environmental sciences.

01-06-2019 to 20-07-2020

Tena, Ecuador

Funding by:Ikiam Amazon Regional University.

Rol: Administrator. Amount: 20 000 USD

Project: Evaluation of water quality for irrigation of the Tiliche community, Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

01-10-2019 to 05-10-2021

Latacunga, Ecuador

Funding by:Decentralized Autonomous Government of Cotopaxi, Technical University of Cotopaxi, Ikiam Amazon Regional University. Water and Aquatic Resources Research Group (GIRHA)

Rol: Associate Researcher.

Project: Implementation of the Artificial Floating Islands system for the treatment of arsenic in the páramos Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

01-10-2018 to 01-10-2019

Latacunga, Ecuador

Funding by:Decentralized Autonomous Government of Cotopaxi, Technical University of Cotopaxi, Ikiam Amazon Regional University. Water and Aquatic Resources Research Group (GIRHA).

Rol: Associate Researcher.

Programming Languages

Proficient:Python, R, C++, MatLab, Scilab, Shell and slurm scripting on HPC, Git, GitHub, Dash and Shiny

Basic experience with: Fortran, Java, PHP, html, javascript, PogreSQL

Climate, hydrology and hydraulics tools

Proficient: Climate data operators (CDO), HEC–HMS, HEC–RAS.

GIS and CAD tools

Proficient: ArcGIS/ArcGIS PRO, QuantumGIS, AutoCAD, SketchUp

Office software Suite

Microsoft office, Libre office, project, visio

Operative systems

GNU/Linux, Windows

Softskills

Hability to work team and independed. Critical thinking and problem solving oriented mindset. Communication habilities for team working, teaching and sharing knowledge.

Scholarship for postgraduate studies

2014

Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

First place, best student research work

2014

Student Conference on Hydrology, Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Scholarship for Master's studies

2011

Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Scholarship. Young Researchers and Innovators

2009

Program Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda, Beneficiary of the Researchers Training Program. Bicentennial Generation. Colciencias. Bogota, Colombia.

Scholarship

2005

Support for bachelor students. National University of Colombia. Bogota, Colombia.