Bijoychandra Takhellambam

RESEARCH, SERVICE & LEADERSHIP

The overarching goal of my research is to advance sustainable development at the intersection of hydrology, climate science, and agricultural systems. Changing climate and rapid population growth have intensified demands on food and water resources. My work addresses these challenges by developing models, data-driven tools, and management strategies that improve how we understand, predict, and respond to hydroclimatic extremes and agricultural water use.

RESEARCH THEMES

Rainfall Extremes & IDF Curves

Projecting future rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves under climate change using artificial neural networks and Bayesian uncertainty quantification, with direct applications to engineering design, stormwater infrastructure, and flood risk management across the Southeast United States.

Soil Erosion & Land Use

Quantifying mid-century rainfall erosivity under climate change and developing Best Management Practices (BMPs) for hilly watersheds using the process-based WEPP soil erosion model across diverse farming systems.

Hydrological Modeling

Integrating subsurface tile drainage into the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface model for water and nutrient management in poorly drained agricultural soils; water quality modeling with SWAT; and flood estimation with HEC-RAS.

Precision Agriculture & Remote Sensing

UAS-based crop water stress assessment and sensor-driven irrigation management for corn and soybean systems, enabling site-specific decision-making under variable field conditions and changing climate.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

Subsurface Tile Drainage Integration into the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) Model
Subsurface tile drainage is critical for water and nutrient management in poorly drained agricultural soils, particularly across the U.S. Corn Belt. Uncontrolled nitrogen loss from drained fields is a primary driver of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. This project integrates tile drainage processes into the VIC land surface model at both field and watershed scales, enabling improved simulation of water table dynamics, nutrient transport, and drainage outflow — supporting more informed water and nutrient management decisions under current and future climate conditions.

UAS-Based Approaches for Estimating Crop Water Requirements
According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, irrigated agriculture in the United States accounts for just 14% of the total cultivated area but contributes 39% of the country's total farm sales. While the yield benefits are not as large, farmers in the Eastern Corn Belt have increasingly used irrigation as a risk-reduction strategy, with irrigated acres in Indiana and Illinois increasing by 22% after the 2012 drought. According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, summers in the Midwest are expected to become hotter, increasing both heat stress and drought stress in crops. Winter and spring conditions will become increasingly wet, resulting in a need to retain water from the wet spring for use when the crops are heat and drought-stressed. Supplemental irrigation to replace evaporative losses during times of stress can support yield potential. Effective irrigation management requires accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration, a critical parameter for managing the water balance. Our study utilizes thermal and RGB imagery from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) of irrigated and non-irrigated corn and soybean plots to estimate crop water stress and evapotranspiration rates.

Climate Change Implications on Rainfall Characteristics and Erosivity
This research developed high-temporal-resolution precipitation data by combining in-situ observations with NetCDF climate model outputs. Key contributions include: (1) the PrecipTDS R-package for generating projected 15-minute rainfall from multiple climate models; (2) quantification of projected mid-century rainfall erosivity over the Southeast US; (3) ANN-empowered IDF curves for future climate scenarios; and (4) a Bayesian framework for IDF uncertainty quantification.

Runoff, Soil Erosion & Best Management Practices in Hilly Watersheds
Assessed runoff generation and soil erosion potential across different farming systems in small hilly watersheds under changing climate conditions. Using the process-based WEPP model, Best Management Practices were developed and evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing erosion. Field and laboratory soil textural analyses were conducted to parameterize and validate simulation results across distinct land-use scenarios.

Hydraulic Modeling for Flood Discharge Estimation
Developed and validated a 1-D unsteady flow model using HEC-RAS for the Chattahoochee (USA) and Godavari (India) rivers to estimate flood discharge using at-site stage information alone — without relying on traditional discharge measurement. Field-measured river cross-sections and daily weather station data were collected and analyzed, contributing to practical approaches for flood estimation in data-scarce environments.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed

Non Peer-reviewed

In Progress/Under Review

Full publication list → Google Scholar

TOOLS & DATA

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS

Professional Memberships

  • ASABE | American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  • AGU | American Geophysical Union
  • AWRA | American Water Resources Association (National & Alabama Sections)
  • AABFEIO | Association of Agricultural, Biological, and Food Engineers of Indian Origin
  • ASCE | American Society of Civil Engineers

Leadership & Outreach

NRES Ambassador Mentor
Purdue University

  • Lead recruitment and mentoring for undergraduate ambassador students.
  • Strategize and execute outreach programs for the Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences department.

Journal Reviewer

Consistently contributing to the peer-review process for high-impact journals in hydrology, data science, and environmental modeling: