For three decades, Xu Chongyu was Europe’s secret weapon against the rising tides. From his quiet office at the University of Oslo, his hydrological models have guarded cities from Copenhagen to Brussels, predicting floods before the first clouds formed.
But the climate clock was ticking fast and his homeland needed him, so the Chinese-born scientist decided to leave.
A homecoming ceremony was held for Xu on December 3 at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (NCWU) in…