Oki was awarded the 2024 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for his outstanding contributions to global water balance studies, global virtual water flows, and the spatial and temporal variability of annually renewable water.

As a globally recognized hydrologist, Oki has advanced sustainable water management through practical climate adaptation strategies, integrating human activity into water cycle models, and enhancing the accuracy of global river flow simulations. He developed the Total Runoff Integrating Pathways (TRIP) system, a global river routing model widely used for climate studies and water resources assessments. Oki also pioneered the accurate measurement of virtual water, deepening our understanding of how food imports influence virtual water trade and impact water scarcity.

Oki’s work envisioned the future development of hydrology by emphasizing linkages between scientific aspects of hydrology and water policy, social issues and interdisciplinary research.

(Photo: Future Earth)