<aside> <img src="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" alt="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Mechanism of Scour-driven Multi-medium Coupled Failure of River Training Dikes in Sediment-laden Rivers

NSFC General Grant Program

Dr Yifan Yang - Principal Investigator

Duration: 2027-2030

</aside>

Highlights:

• Mechanistic Evolution of Local Scour: Investigating how flood process and multi-dike interference drive near-bed turbulent structures (e.g., horseshoe vortices) and erodible sediment bed responses.
• Multi-Medium Coupled Failure Process: Revealing the progressive catastrophe mechanism from riprap stone loss to river dike collapse, identifying the critical thresholds within the "water-sediment-rock-soil" coupled system.
• Intelligent Predictive Inference Modeling: Integrating physical governing equations with AI algorithms (such as Autoencoders and SINDy) to accurately reconstruct internal mechanical states and predict dike failure risks using sparse surface observation data.

<aside> <img src="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" alt="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" width="40px" /> AI- augmented riparian nature-based solutions: Improving strategic hydro- morphodynamic control across scales for flood-resilient rivers in Aotearoa

International Leader Fellowship, Catalyst: Leaders Fund

Dr Yifan Yang - International PI / Fellow

Dr Julia Mullarney - New Zealand PI

Duration: 2026-2029

</aside>

Highlights:

• Comparative Eco-Geomorphic Field Constraints: Conducting extensive, high-fidelity field surveys on selected reaches to benchmark and explicitly quantify how exotic (e.g., willows) versus native vegetation alter cross-scale flow dynamics, sedimentation, and bank stability.
• Cross-Scale Physics-Constrained AI Surrogates: Developing an ultra-fast multi-fidelity framework by training advanced Neural Operators with high-resolution Large Eddy Simulations (LES) data.
• Stakeholder Co-Design and Indigenously Aligned Knowledge Transfer: Partnering with regional councils, engineering groups, and iwi/hapū communities through field wānanga to co-produce an AI-enabled decision-support dashboard.

<aside> <img src="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" alt="/icons/conceal_gray.svg" width="40px" />

Enhancing River Flood Resilience through Nature-based Solutions under Climate Change and AI-driven Optimization

Wuhan University-New Zealand Collaboration Seed Fund

Dr Yifan Yang - Principal Investigator

Duration: 2025-2026

</aside>

Highlights:

• Co-develop an integrated NbS-engineering AI-driven decision framework to enhance river-flood resilience and uncover coupled water–sediment–vegetation–morphodynamics under climate stress.