Shubhneet Singh is a Water Resources and Coastal Scientist based in DHI’s Vancouver office. With a background that spans continents and passions that range from climate resilience to wilderness conservation, Shubhneet brings curiosity, technical skill and a love for the outdoors to everything he does — whether he’s coding a coastal model or biking the North Shore. We chat with him to learn more about his journey, inspirations and off-the-clock adventures.

Hi Shubhneet, tell us about yourself!

I’m a Water Resources and Coastal Scientist based in Vancouver. I grew up in India, studied in the U.S. and joined DHI’s Colorado office right after grad school. In 2023, I moved to Vancouver to work on coastal resilience projects and embrace the Pacific Northwest’s outdoorsy lifestyle. When I’m not at work, you’ll find me rock climbing, mountain biking or exploring the North Shore’s Tolkienesque trails. Inspired by this landscape, I serve as a Board Director for CPAWS-BC, advocating for British Columbia’s parks and wilderness corridors.

When did you join the DHI family and how did it happen?

My journey with DHI began during grad school at Georgia Tech, when I received the Higginbotham Scholarship for ‘Beyond the Classroom Experience’, which led to a six-month internship at our Auckland office. It was my first experience with DHI’s world — learning from a talented, welcoming team and working on flood modelling projects across New Zealand using the MIKE suite of software. That experience sealed the deal, this was the kind of work I wanted to do. When I graduated, I jumped at the chance to join our Colorado office and officially became part of the DHI family.

What does your day look like?

My days are a mix of science, code and coffee. I move between developing numerical models, wrangling geospatial data, heading out for sensor deployments and building Python tools to streamline it all. Plus, living in the Pacific Northwest means I can usually squeeze in a climbing session or hit the trails after work!

Can you share a project where you had to overcome an unexpected obstacle?

If you’ve ever flown over a busy Asian port, you’ve likely seen the sea dotted with countless container ships, tugs and barges — it’s a mesmerising sight. I remember being in awe the first time I saw that scene, not knowing that just a week later, I’d be working on a project to develop navigation risk models for those very vessels. The area we were focusing on is one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world. I spent several months collaborating closely with the local team experts and key stakeholders, assessing risks of vessel collisions, groundings and allisions.

Just days before project submission, we uncovered a bug during final QA that essentially required reconfiguring the entire modeling setup. Our team rolled up their sleeves, reconfigured the model, and — thanks to Python automation — we completed validations and still managed to deliver on time. That day drove home the need for rigorous QA process, the value of strong technical mentorship and the power of reusable code that’s ready to deploy when it counts. This project also laid the cornerstone for many navigation risk studies we've since delivered worldwide.

As a Water Resources and Coastal Scientist, why do you do what you do?

At its core, my work with models, code and data helps communities plan and make smarter, safer and more sustainable environmental decisions. Growing up in north India, I witnessed major flooding in my hometown twice — those experiences stuck with me and continue to drive my commitment to solving water challenges. With growing climate stressors and urban expansion, the mission is clear and I’m all in!

For example, we recently developed long-term hydrological models for the City of Vancouver, forecasting reservoir water availability under future climate and demand scenarios well into the end of the century. Knowing this work supports planning for over 2.5 million people — and for the city I call home — makes it deeply meaningful.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself that nobody at DHI knows about (yet)?

Nobody at DHI knows this, I grew up in an Army boarding school — think Hogwarts, but swap magic for 5:30 AM PT drills, crisp uniforms and fierce sports rivalries. I was all set for the Air Force… until I realised I ask too many questions for that to work out.