Looking back, I can\u00a0see that to a large extent it was a matter of\u00a0family background. My father taught water-related subjects at the\u00a0secondary technical school in\u00a0Hradec Kr\u00e1lov\u00e9 and later worked for the\u00a0local water supply and sewerage utility. Water management was also the\u00a0professional field of\u00a0my uncle and two cousins.<\/p>\n
For a short time I did consider a career in\u00a0IT, but at CTU I was persuaded by teachers who showed me how diverse and meaningful work with water can\u00a0be. They also demonstrated that in\u00a0this field there is (and will be for a long time) a great deal of\u00a0work to be done if we are to move closer to global standards.<\/p>\n
What do you consider to be the\u00a0greatest advance or achievement in\u00a0research and teaching at your department?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0teaching, it is certainly the\u00a0modernisation of\u00a0the\u00a0content of\u00a0all courses. We strive to adapt them to current trends and to what students genuinely need for their future professional careers. We invite a wide range of\u00a0practitioners to share their experience with students.<\/p>\n However, I consider the\u00a0change in\u00a0the\u00a0approach to teaching to be fundamental. We teach students to perceive water not as an\u00a0isolated technical discipline, but as an\u00a0integral part of\u00a0society, the\u00a0landscape, and the\u00a0urban\u00a0environment. We want them to understand the\u00a0interconnections and the\u00a0responsibility that is associated with their decisions.<\/p>\n In\u00a0research, we have been particularly successful in\u00a0the\u00a0areas of\u00a0rainwater management, water recycling, optimisation of\u00a0wastewater treatment plants, and the\u00a0use of\u00a0heat from wastewater. The\u00a0outputs include methodologies, software, and patents \u2013 in\u00a0short, results that are closely linked to practical application. This has been our long-term objective.<\/p>\n When you look back, how has student interest in\u00a0water management topics developed over time? Do you observe a growing interest in\u00a0sustainable solutions or in\u00a0so-called blue\u2013green infrastructure?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Overall, there are fewer students today; roughly one fifth of\u00a0the\u00a0number that used to be typical around the\u00a0turn of\u00a0the\u00a0millennium now enrol in\u00a0our field. However, I see a much stronger interest among those who do choose to study water management. They are often more motivated, ask more questions, and remain\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0profession after graduation.<\/p>\n Interest in\u00a0sustainability, including issues related to blue\u2013green infrastructure, is growing strongly among students. Approximately one third of\u00a0qualification theses at the\u00a0department now focus on this topic. I am also very pleased that we teach blue\u2013green infrastructure at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Architecture of\u00a0CTU as well, because cooperation between water management professionals and landscape architects is absolutely essential for achieving good results.<\/p>\n Which projects or initiatives have been the\u00a0most professionally fulfilling for you in\u00a0recent years?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Over the\u00a0long term, I have found fulfilment in\u00a0working on a wide range of\u00a0documents related to rainwater management and blue\u2013green infrastructure\u00a0\u2013 from the\u00a0initial amendments to legislation, through standards and methodologies, to today\u2019s support for municipalities in\u00a0setting their own standards and decision-making processes. All of\u00a0this has been a fulfilling and at times even adventurous journey.<\/p>\n And then there are projects where it has been possible to combine my profession with a personal interest in\u00a0history, such as a blue\u2013green infrastructure study for the\u00a0national cultural monument of\u00a0Vy\u0161ehrad, filming videos about water at Strahov Monastery, and work for the\u00a0Dejvice campus. I found these projects particularly enjoyable.<\/p>\n In\u00a02019, in\u00a0an\u00a0interview for the\u00a0Priorita journal, you spoke about \u201ccheap air conditioning\u201d for cities, meaning the\u00a0use of\u00a0rainwater and greenery to cool the\u00a0urban\u00a0environment. How has this topic developed since then?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In\u00a0the\u00a0field of\u00a0urban\u00a0planning, six years is a relatively short period of\u00a0time. However, when I look at developments over a horizon of\u00a0two decades, the\u00a0direction of\u00a0change is clear.<\/p>\n At the\u00a0turn of\u00a0the\u00a0millennium, rainwater management began\u00a0as a purely water management issue, which gradually started to become linked with greenery, the\u00a0landscape, and adaptation measures. Today, this integration is already a standard part of\u00a0both the\u00a0debate and practical design.<\/p>\n What has been crucial is a change in\u00a0the\u00a0way of\u00a0thinking. In\u00a0the\u00a0past, we had to spend a great deal of\u00a0time explaining why it makes sense to retain\u00a0and use water within\u00a0a given area. Today, municipalities tend to ask instead how to do it in\u00a0the\u00a0best possible way. That represents an\u00a0enormous shift.<\/p>\n And, in\u00a0retrospect, it was perhaps around 2019 that we moved from a phase in\u00a0which we were \u201cpushing the\u00a0cart uphill\u201d to a phase in\u00a0which it is already moving on its own. Our task now is mainly to ensure that it does not veer off course.<\/p>\n What is your view on the\u00a0current situation in\u00a0rainwater management in\u00a0Czech towns? Have you observed any specific changes recently in\u00a0the\u00a0way municipalities think about this issue?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Very positive. Municipalities understand far more than\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0past that working with rainwater is not merely an\u00a0economic consideration, but a matter of\u00a0future quality of\u00a0life.<\/p>\n Larger towns and cities are already developing their own rainwater management standards and are seeking to better coordinate decision-making processes across departments and municipal organisations. Smaller municipalities, in\u00a0turn, are more frequently requesting consultations and actively looking for solutions that are realistic for their specific conditions. This is a development I\u00a0would not have expected ten years ago.<\/p>\n What do you think is holding back the\u00a0wider implementation of\u00a0blue\u2013green measures in\u00a0practice \u2013 legislation, finance, or rather a lack of\u00a0courage?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It is certainly a combination of\u00a0several factors.<\/p>\n A major legislative issue is the\u00a0exemption from charges for rainwater discharged into sewer systems for public use. This applies to most producers and reduces the\u00a0economic incentive to implement blue\u2013green infrastructure.<\/p>\n There is also a widespread assumption that blue\u2013green solutions are often more expensive than\u00a0conventional ones, particularly if only the\u00a0direct construction costs are considered. However, we should learn to take into account the\u00a0associated benefits as well: reduced damage during extreme events, improved microclimate, and better public health. If the\u00a0issue is viewed in\u00a0a\u00a0comprehensive manner, the\u00a0economic balance may look entirely different.<\/p>\n At times, there is also a lack of\u00a0willingness to step outside established procedures. It is easier to look for reasons why something cannot be done than\u00a0to seek ways in\u00a0which it could be achieved. Here too, however, the\u00a0situation is gradually improving, thanks to interdisciplinary cooperation, which is becoming increasingly common.<\/p>\n In\u00a0recent years, there has been a great deal of\u00a0discussion about the\u00a0climate resilience of\u00a0cities. What role do you think water \u2013 and water management professionals \u2013 can\u00a0play in\u00a0this context?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A fundamental one. During periods of\u00a0drought, the\u00a0key issue is ensuring a\u00a0sufficient supply of\u00a0good-quality water; during periods of\u00a0extreme rainfall, it is flood prevention, and the\u00a0protection of\u00a0water quality is also essential. Equally important is the\u00a0microclimatic function \u2013 linking rainwater runoff with greenery can\u00a0reduce temperatures in\u00a0streets and make the\u00a0urban\u00a0environment more pleasant.<\/p>\n It is a highly complex matter, because all of\u00a0these functions must be ensured for a city simultaneously, while we also know that building a climate-resilient city cannot be achieved all at once, but only through gradual steps linked to the\u00a0natural renewal of\u00a0urban\u00a0areas. It is a long-distance endeavour, extending over many years or even decades, and all the\u00a0more reason to start immediately, even with small but well-considered steps. There will therefore be more than\u00a0enough work for water management professionals.<\/p>\n How do you view cooperation between academia and practice \u2013 are you successful in\u00a0transferring research outputs into real-world projects?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n To some extent, yes. Above all, this is achieved through methodologies, standards, and various calculation tools that help to establish effective approaches to design, construction, and operation. The problem is that these tools are sometimes perceived more as obstacles to established practices, and\u00a0the\u00a0introduction of\u00a0new approaches requires a great deal of\u00a0explanation and awareness-raising. Unfortunately, our capacity for this is limited, although we are greatly supported by the\u00a0Czech Water Association and other professional organisations.<\/p>\n At the\u00a0same time, we seek to implement these innovations in\u00a0real construction projects, but this tends to happen mainly at the\u00a0request of\u00a0clients or designers.<\/p>\n And if we look at it the\u00a0other way round \u2013 do practical issues inspire you in\u00a0shaping teaching and research?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I see it as a never-ending cycle: research generates new knowledge, this is applied in\u00a0real projects, feedback then comes back from practice, and this in\u00a0turn influences further research and teaching. I do not think we could ever say that we have reached the\u00a0goal. It is precisely the\u00a0fact that our field evolves alongside the\u00a0needs of\u00a0society that makes it so rewarding.<\/p>\n How do you relax after demanding days spent dealing with such complex topics?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I walk to and from work every day. It is a simple way to organise my thoughts and both start and close the\u00a0working day. And it is often while walking that the\u00a0best ideas come.<\/p>\n At weekends, I try to escape outdoors, clear my head, and do a little quiet reflection. Silence and movement in\u00a0the\u00a0countryside are the\u00a0most effective form of\u00a0rest for me.<\/p>\n Do you have a personal motto or principle that guides you both in\u00a0your work and in\u00a0life?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I have four of\u00a0them, and they come from the\u00a0book The\u00a0Four Agreements by Miguel \u00c1ngel Ruiz: be impeccable with your word, do not take anything personally, do not make assumptions, and always do your best. They are not easy to follow, but when one succeeds, one goes to sleep in\u00a0the\u00a0evening with a clear conscience \u2013 and that is an\u00a0important life principle for me.<\/p>\n If you were to advise students or young professionals who wish to pursue a career in water management, what would you tell them?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n They may earn more money elsewhere, but in\u00a0water they will find a field that becomes part of\u00a0their life. Water is a fascinating world and, at the\u00a0same time, the\u00a0foundation of\u00a0our survival. When you look at it more closely, work turns into a hobby and, over time, perhaps even into a calling. And I would add a thought by Paulo Coelho: \u201can\u00a0entire city can\u00a0move, but a well cannot\u201d.<\/p>\n What would you like to see changed in\u00a0the\u00a0relationship between Czech society and water and the\u00a0landscape?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n That we realise that the\u00a0environment is not an\u00a0abstract concept, but the\u00a0space in\u00a0which we live \u2013\u00a0 not only we as humans, but all other living beings as well. We cannot do without it. This does not mean\u00a0that we cannot make use of\u00a0it, but we should do so with respect and with an\u00a0awareness of\u00a0the\u00a0reversibility, or irreversibility, of\u00a0our actions.<\/p>\n Finally, allow me a personal question. What is your dream or goal that you would like to fulfil professionally?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I see my professional path as a long-term process. I do not try to set myself grand goals; rather, I focus on doing what needs to be done each day. And\u00a0I\u00a0hope that our generation will leave behind something that others can\u00a0build upon, rather than\u00a0something they will have to fix.<\/p>\n However, I did in\u00a0fact fulfil one long-held dream. When I first attended the\u00a0largest conference in\u00a0our field in\u00a0Sydney in\u00a01999, I thought how wonderful it would be if one day it could be held in\u00a0Prague. And in\u00a02017 we managed to achieve this, together with Ivana Kabelkov\u00e1 and Vojta Bare\u0161. When I recall the\u00a0700 participants and the\u00a0excellent atmosphere, pleasant memories still come back to me to this day.<\/p>\n Today, this is being followed up by the\u00a0biennial CzWA conference in\u00a0Litomy\u0161l, and that may well be the\u00a0true goal for the\u00a0future: to create a space where the\u00a0professional community can\u00a0meet, engage in\u00a0open discussion, and continue to develop our field.<\/p>\n Professor, thank you for the\u00a0interview and for providing the\u00a0photographs.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rozhovor-obr-1-e1770985582483.jpg\")
<\/a>\n<\/a>\nIn\u00a0a sewer beneath Kampa during the\u00a0filming of\u00a0educational videos, 2024<\/h6>\n
<\/a>Lost in\u00a0the\u00a0Danube Delta towards the\u00a0end of\u00a0the\u00a0voyage from Kom\u00e1rno to\u00a0the\u00a0Black\u00a0Sea, 2018<\/h6>\n