I am a hydrologist and geomorphologist with more than 20 years’ experience in catchment science, hydrological modelling, and environmental research. Specialist in land–water interactions, flow and sediment processes, and the application of spatially distributed models to inform land & water management and nature-based solutions. Much of my work has involved integrating GIS, spatial data, and stakeholder needs into practical modelling for flooding, water quality and landslide prediction. I am currently a Lecturer in the Civil Engineering Discipline within the School of Engineering.

Professional History

since June 2018: Lecturer in Civil Engineering in the School of Engineering

June 2018 to June 2023: Newcastle University Research Fellow in the School of Engineering

Sept 2014 to June 2018: Temporary Lecturer in the Department of Geography at Durham University

Dec 2013 to June 2018: Research Associate in the Department of Geography at Durham University

Dec 2010 to Dec 2013: NERC Independent Research Fellow at Durham University and University of California, Berkeley (Jan-Dec 2012).

Sept 2008 to Dec 2010: Research Associate in the Department of Geography at Durham University

Academic Qualifications

2004-8: PhD in Physical Geography at Durham University: “Modelling shallow landslides: the importance of hydrological controls and lateral reinforcement”.

2000-2003: BSc in Geography at Leeds University.

Memberships 

Member of British Society for Geomorphology (since 2004)

Member of American Geophysical Union (since 2006)

Member of European Geosciences Union (since 2011)

NERC Peer Review College (since 2012)

Industrial Experience 

I have experience of working with industry through a number of consultancy contracts over the past 20 years, generally focused on water quality (SCIMAP applications) and natural flood management impacts for: Moors For The Future Partnership, Northumbrian Water Ltd, Lune Rivers Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Outreach 

I have been involved in a number of outreach activities speaking, showing beautiful (and sometimes terrifying) video and providing mini-demonstrations at venues from lecture theatres to pubs to schools.

On the web 

Google Scholar:https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=0XykQl0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Milledge

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4077-4898

Research Interests

My work is consistently interdisciplinary, bridging physical geography, hydrology, engineering geology, earth and environmental science. I place a strong emphasis on model development, validation, and application for both process understanding and risk mitigation. I value stakeholder and policy engagement seeking to contribute at science-policy interfaces particularly through participatory research and scenario planning. I work across a very wide range of scales from particle-scale mechanics (e.g. DEM models of sands and soils) to regional landslide susceptibility using Earth Observation data. My main contributions have been to our understanding of landslides, catchment hydrology and water quality.

Landslides

-Mechanistic modelling of slope stability: developing and refining physically-based models to predict landslide size, location, and probability under varying conditions (e.g. rainfall, frost cracking). Milledge et al. (2014, 2012), Bellugi et al. (2021, 2015a, 2015b); Geng et al. (2022).

-Remote sensing & rapid mapping: Advancing the use of optical and radar (InSAR) satellite images with automated methods to detect landslides post-event. Milledge et al. (2022); Burrows et al. (2021, 2020, 2019), Dai et al. (2020), Williams et al. (2017).

-Hazard assessment & mitigation: Creating new landslide risk frameworks and cost-benefit analyses for slope stabilization and earthquake-triggered landslide exposure. Milledge et al. (2019), Robson et al. (2024a, 2024b, 2022), Rodgers et al. (2019a, 2019b, 2020).

Catchment Hydrology

-Natural Flood Management (NFM): Assessing the hydrological impact of peatland and gully restoration using BACI monitoring and catchment modelling. Lane & Milledge (2013), Goudarzi et al. (2024, 2021), Howson et al. (2023), Shuttleworth et al. (2019).

-Catchment hydrology & rainfall-runoff modelling: Focused on upland catchments, characterizing stormflow dynamics and runoff generation. Milledge et al. (2013), Edokpa et al. (2022), Holden et al. (2008).

-Model innovation: Developing hydrological tools like the Generalized Multistep Dynamic TOPMODEL for enhanced representation of landscape processes. Goudarzi et al. (2023).

-Scenario modelling & risk: Applying modelling tools to assess current and future flood risk under climate and land use change. Lane & Milledge (2013), Goudarzi et al. (2024).

Water quality

-Pollution risk modelling: Applying Monte Carlo and other statistical approaches to identify diffuse pollution risk in agricultural catchments. Milledge et al. (2012), Oliver et al. (2016), Hahn et al. (2014).

-Microbial pollution & population density: Investigating microbial contamination (e.g. in the Ganga catchment) and links to population pressure and infrastructure. Milledge et al. (2018), Milledge & Bunce (2019).

-Catchment prioritisation: Providing hydrological analysis for targeted restoration and pollution mitigation. Milledge et al. (2020).

I am always looking for enthusiastic and curious potential PhD students with an academic background in earth or environmental science, hydrology, geotechnical engineering, geography, mathematics or physics. If you are interested in landslides and their drivers or impacts, please contact me: david.milledge@newcastle.ac.uk

Fellowships and other Prizes

American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Leica Geosystems Prize (2008)

NERC Postdoctoral fellowship (2010-13)

PhD Students and Postdocs

Current 

-Dr Xuemei Liu, 2025, CSC visiting scholar, Coseismic landslide hazard preparedness & response

-Dr Erin Harvey, 2025, PDRA, Mapping & modelling landslides & channel change in the upper Ganga

-Sarah Drummond, 2024, PhD, Flood CDT, Optimizing gully blocks to reduce flood discharge

-Ana Amezaga-Kutija, 2022, PhD, WIRe CDT, Proactive management of dissolved organic carbon in catchments to mitigate climate change impacts on trihalomethanes formation in water treatment

Past 

-Chao Zhang, 2020-25, PhD, Investigating the mechanical and electrical behaviour of particulate systems using Discrete Element Method.

-Inga Sirbu, 2019-24, EPSRC funded PhD, Medical imaging to measure soil-water processes.

-Dr Qiuji Li, 2020, PDRA, Modelling landslide hazard for power networks in Sarawak Malaysia.

-Dr Salim Goudarzi, 2019-22, PDRA, Modelling rainfall-runoff under natural flood management. ^[32,38,44]

-Ellen Robson, 2018-22, NERC funded PhD, Cost-effective road slope stabilisation in lower-income countries.

-Andrea Agosti, 2018-22, PhD, Innovative design of open cast mines in weak rocks.

-Katy Burrows, 2016-20, IHRR funded PhD, Rapid Detection of Earthquake-triggered Landslides from Satellite Radar.

Service

I have been a member of the NERC peer review college since 2012, reviewing grants and sitting on panels, and have acted as external PhD examiner to multiple students in the UK and internationally. I am a member of Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (ESPL) early career editorial board and am currently editing a special issue in ESPL: Geomorphology, Natural Hazards & Climate Change. I have provided peer reviews for >15 different journals ranging from technical remote sensing journals (e.g. IJRS) to those that specialise in geomorphology (e.g. ESPL, JGR-ES) or Hydrology (e.g. Jnl of Hydrology, WRR).

Recent Research Grants 

2025-26. DrySlide: Characterising vegetation influences on the dry triggering of a September 2024 landslide sequence in Scotland. NERC. MILLEDGE CO-I. £57,890. 

2024-28. Dynamic Risks for Cascading Himalayan Hazards. NERC. MILLEDGE Co-I and work package lead for landslide modelling. £850,443 to consortium.

2023-24. Natural Flood Management benefits realised by regenerative grazing regime at Croasdale. Natural England. MILLEDGE PI. £14,957.

2017-2023 “Optimising NFM in headwater catchments to protect downstream communities”. With Dr Shuttleworth, Prof Evans and Prof Allott (Manchester); and Prof Holden (Leeds). NERC. MILLEDGE PI at Newcastle. £286,627.

2013-15: “Making Space for Water 2: Providing evidence of the success of blanket bog restoration (gully blocking and re-vegetation) in reducing flood risk”. With Prof Evans and Dr Allott (Manchester). DEFRA and EA funded project. MILLEDGE PI at Durham. £52,200 to Durham.

2011-15: “Ecological integrity and sustainability in the Ganges river basin” with Prof Sinha (IIT Kanpur) and Dr Carbonneau (Durham). UKIERI. MILLEDGE CO-I. £20,060.

2010-2013: “Understanding transient response to climate change in coupled hydro-eco-geomorphic landscapes”. NERC Independent Research Fellowship. MILLEDGE PI. £246,126.

2010: “Building adaptive strategies for environmental change in river catchments”, with, Prof Pain and Dr Whitman (all at Durham). RELU. MILLEDGE CO-I. £153,120

• Articles

  • Zhang C, Maramizonouz S, Yang C, Milledge D, Lewis R, Nadimi S. Electro-mechanical insights into the mixing of conductive and non-conductive sands at an interface. Powder Technology 2025, 458, 120991.
  • Goudarzi S, Milledge D, Holden J, Evans M, Allott T, Johnston A, Shuttleworth E, Kay M, Brown D, Rees J, Edokpa D. Natural flood management through peatland restoration: Catchment‐scale modeling of past and future scenarios in Glossop, UK. Water Resources Research 2024, 60(8), e2024WR037320.
  • Robson EB, Milledge DG, Utili S, Brundl M. Cost-benefit methodology for road slope stabilisation. Transportation Geotechnics 2024, 48, 101282.
  • Zhang C, Maramizonouz S, Milledge D, Nadimi S. An Electro-Mechanical Contact Model for Particulate Systems. Powder Technology 2024, 440, 119759.
  • Zhang C, Nadimi S, Maramizonouz S, Milledge D, Lewis R. A Discrete Element Model of High-Pressure Torsion Test to Assess the Effect of Particle Characteristics in the Interface. ASME Journal of Tribology 2024, 146(8), 081501.
  • Robson E, Milledge D, Utili S, Dattola G. A Computationally Efficient Method to Determine the Probability of Rainfall-Triggered Cut Slope Failure Accounting for Upslope Hydrological Conditions. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering 2024, 57, 2421-2443.
  • Goudarzi S, Milledge DG, Holden J. A Generalized Multistep Dynamic (GMD) TOPMODEL. Water Resources Research 2023, 59(1), e2022WR032198.
  • Edokpa D, Milledge D, Allott T, Holden J, Shuttleworth E, Kay M, Johnston A, Millin-Chalabi G, Scott-Campbell M, Chandler D, Freestone J, Evans M. Rainfall intensity and catchment size control storm runoff in a gullied blanket peatland. Journal of Hydrology 2022, 609, 127688.
  • Geng H, Hong Y, Milledge DG, Pan B, Guo Y. Frost cracking dictated landslide distribution in response to temperature change since Last Glacial Maximum across the Eastern Qilian Mountains. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 2022, 47(13), 3163-3179.
  • Milledge DG, Bellugi DG, Watt J, Densmore AL. Automated determination of landslide locations after large trigger events: Advantages and disadvantages compared to manual mapping. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2022, 22(2), 481-508.
  • Robson E, Agosti A, Utili S, Milledge D. A methodology for road cutting design guidelines based on field observations. Engineering Geology 2022, 307, 106771.
  • Burrows K, Milledge D, Walters RJ, Bellugi D. Integrating empirical models and satellite radar can improve landslide detection for emergency response. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2021, 21(10), 2993-3014.
  • Bellugi DG, Milledge DG, Cuffey KM, Dietrich WE, Larsen LG. Controls on the size distributions of shallow landslides. Proceedings of the Natinal Academy of Sciences 2021, 118(9), e2021855118.
  • Li Y, Utili S, Milledge D, Chen L, Yin K. Chasing a complete understanding of the failure mechanisms and potential hazards of the slow moving Liangshuijing landslide. Engineering Geology 2021, 281, 105977.
  • Goudarzi S, Milledge DG, Holden J, Evans MG, Allott TEH, Shuttleworth EL, Pilkington M, Walker J. Blanket‐peat restoration: numerical study of the underlying processes delivering Natural Flood Management benefits. Water Resources Research 2021, 57(4), e2020WR029209.
  • Su G-W, Rodgers J, Tian Q, Qi W-H, England P, Sim T, Young J, Wang D-M, Li Z-Q, Feng X-J, Sun L, Chen K, So E, Parsons B, Zhao J-L, Shi J-L, Yuan Z-X, Yue C, Zhou Q, Wei B-Y, Milledge D, Densmore A. The participatory construction of a seismic scenario for Weinan city: A pilot action research to address the improvement of earthquake disaster risk reduction in China参与式渭南地震情景构建: 中国地震风险对策的行动研究示范. Dizhen Dizhi 2020, 42(6), 1446-1473.
  • Dai K, Li Z, Xu Q, Bürgmann R, Milledge DG, Tomás R, Fan X, Zhao X, Liu X, Peng J, Zhang Q, Wang Z, Qu T, He C, Li D, Liu J. Entering the Era of Earth Observation-Based Landslide Warning Systems: A Novel and Exciting Framework. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine 2020, 8(1), 136-153.
  • Burrows K, Walters RJ, Milledge D, Densmore AL. A systematic exploration of satellite radar coherence methods for rapid landslide detection. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2020, 20(11), 3197-3214.
  • Milledge DG, Densmore AL, Bellugi D, Rosser NJ, Watt J, Li G, Oven KJ. Simple rules to minimize exposure to coseismic landslide hazard. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2019, 19(4), 837-856.
  • Shuttleworth EL, Evans MG, Pilkington M, Spencer T, Walker J, Milledge D, Allott TE. Restoration of blanket peat moorland delays stormflow from hillslopes and reduces peak discharge. Journal of Hydrology X 2019, 2, 100006.
  • Rodgers J, Su G, Qi W, Milledge D, Densmore A, Davis C, England P, Young J, Cao Y, Chakos A, Li X, Sim T, So E, Parsons B, Sun L, Yu J, Guo C. Creating an earthquake scenario in China: A case study in Weinan City, Shaanxi province. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 2019, 42, 101305.
  • Burrows K, Walters RJ, Milledge D, Spaans K, Densmore AL. A new method for large-scale landslide classification from satellite radar. Remote Sensing 2019, 11(3), 237.
  • Williams JG, Rosser NJ, Kincey ME, Benjamin J, Oven KJ, Densmore AL, Milledge DG, Robinson TR, Jordan CA, Dikjstra TA. Satellite-based emergency mapping: landslides triggered by the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Science 2018, 18(1), 185-205.
  • Williams JG, Rosser NJ, Kincey ME, Benjamin J, Oven KJ, Densmore AL, Milledge DG, Robinson TR, Jordan CA, Dijkstra TA. Satellite-based emergency mapping using optical imagery: experience and reflections from the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Natural hazards and earth system sciences 2018, 18, 185-205.
  • Milledge DG, Gurjar SK, Bunce JT, Tare V, Sinha R, Carbonneau PE. Population density controls on microbial pollution across the Ganga catchment. Water Research 2018, 128, 82-91.
  • Zhuang J, Peng J, Xu C, Li Z, Densmore A, Milledge D, Iqbal J, Cui Y. Distribution and characteristics of loess landslides triggered by the 1920 Haiyuan Earthquake, Northwest of China. Geomorphology 2018, 314, 1-12.
  • Davies TRH, Beaven S, Conradson D, Densmore AL, Gaillard JC, Johnston D, Milledge D, Oven KJ, Petley D, Rigg J, Robinson TR, Rosser NJ, Wilson TM. Towards disaster resilience: A scenario-based approach to co-producing and integrating hazard and risk knowledge. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, 13, 242-247.
  • Geng H, Pan B, Milledge DG, Huang B, Zhang G. Quantifying sheet wash erosion rates in a mountainous semi‐arid basin using environmental radionuclides and a stream power model. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 2015, 40(13), 1814-1826.
  • Bellugi D, Milledge DG, Dietrich WE, Perron JT, McKean J. Predicting shallow landslide size and location across a natural landscape: Application of a spectral clustering search algorithm. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 2015, 120(12), 2552-2585.
  • Whitman GP, Pain R, Milledge DG. Going with the flow? Using participatory action research in physical geography. Progress in Physical Geography 2015, 39(5), 622-639.
  • Bellugi D, Milledge DG, Dietrich WE, McKean JA, Perron JT, Sudderth EB, Kazian B. A spectral clustering search algorithm for predicting shallow landslide size and location. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 2015, 120(2), 300-324.
  • Milledge DG, Bellugi D, McKean JA, Densmore AL, Dietrich WE. A multidimensional stability model for predicting shallow landslide size and shape across landscapes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 2014, 119(11), 2481-2504.

• Report

  • Milledge D, Goudarzi S, Dixon S. Water Environment Grant-Building Blocks: Hydrological Analysis to Prioritise Gully Block Locations. Newcastle University, 2020.

• Working Paper

  • Oven KJ, Milledge DG, Densmore AL, Jones H, Sargeant S, Datta A. Earthquake science in DRR policy and practice in Nepal. 2016, 1-35.