Taher Kahil

Taher Kahil joined IIASA as a Research Scholar with the Water (WAT) Program in September 2015. Dr. Kahil obtained his PhD in economics at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) in 2015. His completed PhD dissertation includes the development and use of a hydro-economic model of Spanish basins and the application of cooperative game theory to water resources management. He has been the recipient of a number of scholarships and awards including the FPI-INIA PhD scholarship of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and the award for the best PhD dissertation in economics at the University of Zaragoza.

His research interests are in the areas of integrated biophysical economics modeling for basin scale water policy analysis, the economics of water allocation and water quality, and evaluation of adaptation policy interventions to global changes in water and agriculture. At IIASA, Dr. Kahil leads the development of the large-scale hydro-economic modeling framework (ECHO). He is currently involved in a number of international research projects on water-food-energy nexus management, upscaling of sustainable intensification practices, and disaster risk reduction. He has published over 40 publications including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and policy briefs. He is a topic editor at the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI). Dr. Kahil was appointed Research Group Leader of the newly formed Water Security research group at IIASA, as of January 2021.


Last update: 09 OCT 2020

Crespo, D., Albiac Murillo, J., Dinar, A., Esteban, E., & Kahil, T. (2022). Integrating ecosystem benefits for sustainable water allocation in hydroeconomic modeling. PLoS ONE 17 (5), e0267439. 10.1371/journal.pone.0267439.

Hanger-Kopp, S., Birk, S., Burek, P. , Guillaumot, L. , Jauck, M., Kahil, T. , Karabaczek, V., Lindinger, H., Kurshid, A.N., Offenzeller, M., Reheis, W., Kumar, R.S., Sailer, C., Schinko, T. , Schläffer, A., Sedy, K., Steidl, T., Waltl, P., & Wawra, C. (2022). Distinguishing and analysing regional water stress in two Austrian regions using participatory modelling. In: Österreichischer Klimatag 2022, 20-22 April 2022.

Liu, X., Dai, H., Wada, Y. , Kahil, T. , Ni, J., Chen, B., Chen, Y., Guo, C., Pan, C., Liu, X., & Liu, Y. (2022). Achieving carbon neutrality enables China to attain its industrial water-use target. One Earth 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.01.007. (In Press)

Ermolieva, T., Havlik, P. , Frank, S. , Kahil, T. , Balkovič, J. , Skalský, R. , Ermoliev, Y., Knopov, P.S., Borodina, O.M., & Gorbachuk, V.M. (2022). A Risk-Informed Decision-Making Framework for Climate Change Adaptation through Robust Land Use and Irrigation Planning. Sustainability 14 (3), p. 1430. 10.3390/su14031430.

Baccour, S., Albiac Murillo, J., Kahil, T. , Esteban, E., Crespo, D., & Dinar, A. (2021). Hydroeconomic modeling for assessing water scarcity and agricultural pollution abatement policies in the Ebro River Basin, Spain. Journal of Cleaner Production 327, e129459. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129459.

Albiac Murillo, J.M.S., Kahil, T. , & Encarna, E. (2021). The Jucar River Basin. In: Sustainability of Engineered Rivers In Arid Lands: CHallenge and Response. Eds. Schmandt, J., Kibaroglu, A., Buono, R., & Thomas, S., pp. 220-232 Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-41703-710.1017/9781108261142.015.

Ermolieva, T., Havlik, P. , Ermoliev, Y., Kahil, T. , Rovenskaya, E. , Obersteiner, M. , Borodina, O., Gorbachuk, V., Knopov, P., & Bogdanov, O. (2021). Robust management of systemic risks and food-water-energy-environmental security in interacting natural and anthropogenic systems. In: 31st European Conference on Operational Research, 11-14 July, 2021, Athens, Greece.

Tramberend, S. , Burtscher, R. , Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Fischer, G., Mochizuki, J. , Greve, P., Kimwaga, R., Nyenje, P., Ondiek, R., Nakawuka, P., Hyandye, C., Sibomana, C., Luoga, H.P., Matano, A.S., Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2021). Co-development of East African regional water scenarios for 2050. One Earth 4 (3), 434-447. 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.02.012.

Willaarts, B. , Palazzo, A. , Kahil, T. , Tang, T. , & Heyl, A. (2021). Sustainable development pathways to water, food, and energy security in the Zambezi basin. IIASA Policy Brief. Laxenburg, Austria: PB-27

Baccour, S., Albiac Murillo, J.M.S., & Kahil, T. (2021). Cost-Effective Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Agriculture of Aragon, Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (3), e1084. 10.3390/ijerph18031084.

Almazán-Gómez, M.A., Kahil, T. , Duarte, R., & Sánchez-Chóliz, J. (2021). A Multiregional Input–Output Hydro-Economic Modeling Framework: An Application to the Ebro River Basin. Water Economics and Policy 10.1142/S2382624X21400026.

de Souza, M., Koo-Oshima, S., Kahil, T. , Wada, Y. , Qadir, M., Jewitt, G., Cudennec, C., Uhlenbrook, S., & Zhang, L. (2021). Food and agriculture. In: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2021: Valuing Water. pp. 67-78 Paris: UNESCO. ISBN 978-92-3-100434-6

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y, Kahil, T. , Scherzer, A., Tramberend, S. , Nava, L.F. , & Wada, Y. (2020). Data related to research project: Water Futures and Solution - Fast Track Initiative.

Albiac, J., Calvo, E., Kahil, T. , & Esteban, E. (2020). The challenge of irrigation water pricing in the Water Framework Directive. Water Alternatives 13 (3), 674-690.

Burek, P. , Smilovic, M. , Guillaumot, L. , de Bruijn, J. , Greve, P., Satoh, Y., Islaam, A., Virgen-Urcelay, A., Tang, T. , Kahil, T. , & Wada, Y. (2020). Community Water Model CWatM Manual. IIASA Report. Laxenburg, Austria: IIASA

Strokal, M., Kahil, T. , Wada, Y. , Albiac, J., Bai, Z., Ermolieva, T., Langan, S., Ma, L., Oenema, O., Wagner, F. , Zhu, X., & Kroeze, C. (2020). Cost-effective management of coastal eutrophication: A case study for the yangtze river basin. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 154, e104635. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104635.

Tramberend, S. , Burtscher, R. , Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Fischer, G., Mochizuki, J. , Kimwaga, R., Nyenje, P., Ondiek, R., Nakawuka, P., Hyandye, C., Sibomana, C., Luoga, H.P., Matano, A.S., Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2020). Data related to research project: East Africa Water Scenarios to 2050.

Buckle, S., Mirabile, M., Jaber, A.A., Lanzi, E., Dellink, R., Symes, W., Elgouacem, A., Henderson, B., van Ruijven, B. , Dieckmann, U. , Havlik, P. , Kahil, T. , Riahi, K. , Wada, Y. , Wagner, F. , & Kishimoto, P. (2020). Integrated Policies for Climate, Air, Ecosystems, Energy and Transport. In: Systemic Thinking for Policy Making: The Potential of Systems Analysis for Addressing Global Policy Challenges in the 21st Century. pp. 57-66 Paris, France: New Approaches to Economic Challenges, OECD Publishing. ISBN 978-92-64-49456-510.1787/879c4f7a-en.

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Kahil, T. , Tang, T. , Greve, P., Smilovic, M. , Guillaumot, L. , Zhao, F., & Wada, Y. (2020). Development of the Community Water Model (CWatM v1.04) – a high-resolution hydrological model for global and regional assessment of integrated water resources management. Geoscientific Model Development 13 (7), 3267-3298. 10.5194/gmd-13-3267-2020.

Karousakis, K., Gruere, G., Chateau, J., Adenauer, M., Guerrero, S., Havlik, P. , Dieckmann, U. , Kahil, T. , Leclere, D., Rovenskaya, E. , Valin, H. , & Wada, Y. (2020). A Concerted Approach to Biodiversity, Water, Food, and Trade. In: Systemic Thinking for Policy Making: The Potential of Systems Analysis for Addressing Global Policy Challenges in the 21st Century. pp. 49-56 Paris, France: New Approaches to Economic Challenges, OECD Publishing. ISBN 978-92-64-49456-510.1787/879c4f7a-en.

Kahil, T. , Albiac, J., Fischer, G., Strokal, M., Tramberend, S. , Greve, P., Tang, T. , Burek, P. , Burtscher, R. , & Wada, Y. (2019). A nexus modeling framework for assessing water scarcity solutions. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 40, 72-80. 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.09.009.

Li, A., Kroeze, C., Kahil, T. , Ma, L., & Strokal, M. (2019). Water pollution from food production: lessons for optimistic and optimal solutions. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 40, 88-94. 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.09.007.

Ortiz-Partida, J.P., Kahil, T. , Ermolieva, T., Ermoliev, Y., Lane, B., Sandoval-Solis, S., & Wada, Y. (2019). A Two-Stage Stochastic Optimization for Robust Operation of Multipurpose Reservoirs. Water Resources Management 33 (11), 3815-3830. 10.1007/s11269-019-02337-1.

Tramberend, S. , Burtscher, R. , Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Fischer, G., Mochizuki, J. , Wada, Y. , Kimwaga, R., Nyenje, P., Ondiek, R., Prossie, N., Hyandye, C., Sibomana, C., & Langan, S. (2019). East Africa Future Water Scenarios to 2050.

Tramberend, S. , Burtscher, R. , Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Fischer, G., Mochizuki, J. , Wada, Y. , Kimwaga, R., Nyenje, P., Ondiek, R., Prossie, N., Hyandye, C., Sibomana, C., & Langan, S. (2019). East Africa Future Water Scenarios to 2050. IIASA

Ermoliev, Y., Ermolieva, T., Kahil, T. , Obersteiner, M. , Gorbachuk, V., & Knopov, P. (2019). Stochastic Optimization Models for Risk-Based Reservoir Management*. Cybernetics and Systems Analysis 55 (1), 55-64. 10.1007/s10559-019-00112-z.

Parkinson, S. , Krey, V. , Huppmann, D. , Kahil, T. , McCollum, D., Fricko, O. , Byers, E. , Gidden, M. , Mayor, B., Khan, Z., Raptis, C., Rao, N. , Johnson, N., Wada, Y. , Djilali, N., & Riahi, K. (2019). Balancing clean water-climate change mitigation tradeoffs. Environmental Research Letters 14 (1), e014009. 10.1088/1748-9326/aaf2a3.

Chebil, A., Kahil, T. , & Oueslati, B. (2018). Policy measures for reducing aquifer depletion in a context of climate change: the case of the coastal area of Cap-Bon. New Medit XVII (4), 33-44. 10.30682/nm1804c.

Palazzo, A. , van Dijk, M., Willaarts, B. , Magnuszewski, P., Mayor Rodriguez, B., Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Tang, T. , Byers, E. , Pachauri, S. , Poblete Cazenave, M., Krisztin, T. , Riahi, K. , Krey, V. , Wada, Y. , Langan, S. , Obersteiner, M. , & Havlik, P. (2018). Integrated solutions for water, energy, and land nexus management the Zambezi Basin: stakeholder engagement and modeling. In: 3rd Zambezi Basin Stakeholders’ forum: Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus for Socio-Economic Benefits in the Zambezi River Basin, 8-9 October 2018, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Kahil, T. , Parkinson, S. , Satoh, Y., Greve, P., Burek, P. , Veldkamp, T., Burtscher, R. , Byers, E. , Djilali, N., Fischer, G., Krey, V. , Langan, S. , Riahi, K. , Tramberend, S. , & Wada, Y. (2018). A continental-scale hydro-economic model for integrating water-energy-land nexus solutions. Water Resources Research 10.1029/2017WR022478.

Greve, P., Kahil, T. , Mochizuki, J. , Schinko, T. , Satoh, Y., Burek, P. , Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , Burtscher, R. , Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2018). Global assessment of water challenges under uncertainty in water scarcity projections. Nature Sustainability 1, 486-494. 10.1038/s41893-018-0134-9.

Byers, E. , Parkinson, S. , Balkovic, J. , Burek, P. , Ebi, K., Gidden, M. , Grey, D., Greve, P., Havlik, P. , Hillers, A., Johnson, N., Kahil, T. , Krey, V. , Langan, S. , Leclere, D., Nakicenovic, N. , Novak, R., Obersteiner, M. , Pachauri, S. , Palazzo, A. , Rao, N. , Rogelj, J. , Satoh, Y., Wada, Y. , Willaarts, B. , & Riahi, K. (2018). Global climate and development hotspots assessment: Asia under pressure. In: 5th Asian Energy Modelling Workshop, 10-12 September 2018, Singapore.

Byers, E. , Gidden, M. , Leclere, D., Balkovic, J. , Burek, P. , Ebi, K., Grey, D., Greve, P., Havlik, P. , Hillers, A., Johnson, N., Kahil, T. , Krey, V. , Langan, S. , Nakicenovic, N. , Novak, R., Obersteiner, M. , Pachauri, S. , Palazzo, A. , Parkinson, S. , Rao, N. , Rogelj, J. , Satoh, Y., Wada, Y. , Willaarts, B. , & Riahi, K. (2018). Global exposure and vulnerability to multi-sector development and climate change hotspots. In: International Energy Workshop, 19-21 June 2018, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Parkinson, S. , Krey, V. , Huppmann, D. , Kahil, T. , McCollum, D., Fricko, O. , Byers, E. , Gidden, M. , Mayor, B., Khan, Z., Raptis, C., Rao, N. , Johnson, N., Wada, Y. , Djilali, N., & Riahi, K. (2018). Balancing clean water-climate change mitigation tradeoffs. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-18-005

Byers, E. , Gidden, M., Leclere, D., Burek, P. , Ebi, K.L., Greve, P., Grey, D., Havlik, P. , Hillers, A., Johnson, N., Kahil, T. , Krey, V. , Langan, S. , Nakicenovic, N., Novak, R., Obersteiner, M. , Pachauri, S. , Palazzo, A. , Parkinson, S. , Rao, N. , Rogelj, J. , Riahi, K. , Satoh, Y., Wada, Y. , & Willaarts, B. (2018). Global exposure and vulnerability to multi-sector development and climate change hotspots. Environmental Research Letters 13, e055012. 10.1088/1748-9326/aabf45.

Burek, P. , Kahil, T. , Parkinson, S. , Satoh, Y., & Wada, Y. (2018). Integrated modeling for assessing water-energy-land nexus - Application of a hydrological and hydro-economic modeling framework for the Zambezi basin. In: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2018, 20-24 May, 2018, Chiba, Japan.

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Greve, P., Kahil, T. , Byers, E. , Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2018). Improving Water Resources Management on Global and Region Scales – Evaluating Strategies for Water Futures with the IIASA’s Community Water Model. In: American Geo-Sciences Union Fall Meeting, 11-15 December, New Orleans, USA.

Willaarts, B. , Langan, S. , Balkovic, J. , Burek, P. , Byers, E. , Deppermann, A., Frank, S. , Gidden, M. , Greve, P., Havlik, P. , Kahil, T. , Krey, V. , Magnuszewski, P., Mayor Rodriguez, B., Palazzo, A. , Parkinson, S. , Poblete Cazenave, M., Riahi, K. , van Dijk, M., Vinca, A. , & Wada, Y. (2018). Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy and Land Progress report 3. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Gidden, M. , Byers, E. , Burek, P. , Ebi, K., Greve, P., Havlik, P. , Hillers, A., Johnson, N., Kahil, T. , Krey, V. , Langan, S. , Leclere, D., Nakicenovic, N. , Novak, R., Obersteiner, M. , Palazzo, A. , Pachauri, S. , Parkinson, S. , Rao, N. , Rogelj, J. , Satoh, Y., Wada, Y. , Willaarts, B. , & Riahi, K. (2017). Exposure and Vulnerability to Energy, Water, and Land Hotspots under Different Climate Futures. In: 10th Integrated Assessment Modelling Consortium Meeting, December 2017.

Kahil, T. (2017). Economic costs of human and climate changes impact on water resources: Application of IIASA global hydro-economic modeling framework. In: Impacts World 2017, 11-13 October 2017, Potsdam, Germany.

Greve, P., Kahil, T. , Mochizuki, J. , Florke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., & Wada, Y. (2017). Global assessment of water policy challenges under uncertainty in water scarcity projections. In: ILEAPS Science conference, 11-14 September 2017, Oxford, UK.

Albiac, J., Kahil, T. , Notivol, E., & Calvo, E. (2017). Agriculture and climate change: Potential for mitigation in Spain. Science of the Total Environment 592, 495-502. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.110.

Satoh, Y., Kahil, T. , Byers, E. , Burek, P. , Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , Greve, P., Flörke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., Magnuszewski, P., Nava, L.F. , Cosgrove, W., Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2017). Multi-model and multi-scenario assessments of Asian water futures: the Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative. Earth's Future 5 (7), 823-852. 10.1002/2016EF000503.

Kahil, T. & Albiac, J. (2017). Efficient water management policies for irrigation adaptation to climate change in Southern Europe. In: 23rd Annual Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 28 June-1 July 2017, Athens, Greece.

Kahil, T. , Parkinson, S. , Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Greve, P., Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , Langan, S. , & Wada, Y. (2017). Economic costs of reducing unsustainable groundwater use: Application of IIASA global hydro-economic modeling framework. In: JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2017, 20-25 May 2017, Tokyo, Japan.

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Greve, P., Kahil, T. , & Wada, Y. (2017). The CommunityWater Model (CWATM) / Development of a community driven global water model. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2017, 23–28 April 2017, Vienna, Austria.

Gidden, M. , Byers, E. , Greve, P., Kahil, T. , Parkinson, S. , Raptis, C., Rogelj, J. , Satoh, Y., van Vliet, M., Wada, Y. , Krey, V. , Langan, S. , & Riahi, K. (2017). Hydroclimatic risks and uncertainty in the global power sector. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2017, 23–28 April 2017, Vienna, Austria.

Greve, P., Kahil, T. , Schinko, T. , Mochizuki, J. , Satoh, Y., Burek, P. , Burtscher, R. , Langan, S. , Byers, E. , Florke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., & Wada, Y. (2017). Global assessment of water policy vulnerability under uncertainty in water scarcity projections. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2017, 23–28 April 2017, Vienna, Austria.

Kahil, T. (2017). Hydro-economic classification and modeling framework. In: IIASA Institutional Evaluation 2017, 27 February-1 March 2017, IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria.

Wiberg, D., Satoh, Y., Burek, P. , Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , Kahil, T. , Flörke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., Wada, Y. , Byers, E. , Magnuszewski, P., Nava, L.F. , Cosgrove, B., Langan, S. , & Scherzer, A. (2017). Water Futures and Solutions: Asia 2050 (Final Report). Knowledge and Innovation Support for the Water Financing Program of the Asian Development Bank (RETA 6498). IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria (Submitted)

Willaarts, B. , Langan, S. , Balkovic, J. , Burek, P. , Byers, E. , Deppermann, A., Gidden, M. , Greve, P., Havlik, P. , Leclere, D., Kahil, T. , Khan, Z., Krisztin, T. , Krey, V. , Magnuszewski, P., Mastrucci, A. , Mayor Rodriguez, B., Palazzo, A. , Parkinson, S. , Poblete Cazenave, M., Riahi, K. , Satoh, Y., van Dijk, M., & Wada, Y. (2017). Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy and Land Progress report 2. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Burek, P. , Langan, S. , Cosgrove, W., Fischer, G., Kahil, T. , Magnuszewski, P., Satoh, Y., Tramberend, S. , Wada, Y. , & Wiberg, D. (2016). The Water Futures and Solutions Initiative of IIASA. In: IDRiM 2016 7th International Conference on Integrated Disaster Risk Management Disasters and Development: Towards a Risk Aware Society, October 1-3, 2016, Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Kahil, M.T. , Ward, F. A., Albiac, J., Eggleston, J., & Sanz, D. (2016). Hydro-economic modeling with aquifer-river interactions to guide sustainable basin management. Journal of Hydrology 539, 510-524. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.05.057.

Albiac, J., Kahil, T. , Dinar, A., & Tapia, J. (2016). Cambio climático y mercados de agua. In: Los mercados de agua en España. Presente y perspectivas. Eds. Gomez-Limon, J.A. & Calatrava, J., pp. 343-366 Cajamar Caja Rural. ISBN 978-84-95531-73-5

Kahil, T. , Albiac, J., Dinar, A., Calvo, E., Esteban, E., Avella, L., & Garcia-Molla, M. (2016). Improving the Performance of Water Policies: Evidence from Drought in Spain. Water 8 (2), e34. 10.3390/w8020034.

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Fischer, G., Kahil, M.T. , Scherzer, A., Tramberend, S. , Nava, L.F. , Wada, Y. , Eisner, S., Flörke, M., Hanasaki, N., Magnuszewski, P., Cosgrove, B., & Wiberg, D. (2016). Water Futures and Solution - Fast Track Initiative (Final Report). IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-16-006

Burek, P. , Satoh, Y., Wada, Y. , Flörke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., Tramberend, S. , Fischer, G., Kahil, T. , Wiberg, D., & Cosgrove, W. (2016). Looking at the spatial and temporal distribution of global water availability and demand. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2016, 17–22 April 2016, Vienna, Austria.

Kahil, T.M. , Ward, F.A., Albiac, J., Eggleston, J., & Sanz, D. (2016). Hydro-economic modeling of conjunctive ground and surface water use to guide sustainable basin management. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2016, 17–22 April 2016, Vienna, Austria.

Satoh, Y., Burek, P. , Wada, Y. , Flörke, M., Eisner, S., Hanasaki, N., Kahil, T. , Tramberend, S. , Fischer, G., & Wiberg, D. (2016). Asian water futures - Multi scenarios, models and criteria assessment. In: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2016, 17–22 April 2016, Vienna, Austria.

Kahil, T. , Dinar, A., & Albiac, J. (2015). Water management and cooperation under climate change. Global Water Forum