Julien Harou is interested in water resources planning and management. His group builds modelling tools to help manage water resources in the UK and worldwide. His research is on managing water scarcity and planning infrastructure investments using hydro-economic and multi-criteria methods. Recent collaborators include DEFRA, the European Commission, UK water regulators (EA, Ofwat), water companies, the World Bank, IUCN, WWF, Dutch ministry for transport and water, and economic and engineering consulting firms. 

Julien is co-chairing the session Advances in Modeling of Coupled Hydrologic-Socioeconomic Systems at EGU 2013. He chaired iEMSs 2012 Session I.2 on Water management and planning - models for unique institutional, economic and geographic contexts.  Julien organised the London water hackathon, part of the World Bank lead global event.  Julien was chosen by NASA as a Launch Water innovator in 2010.

Whilst at UCL Julien was Director of the UCL Environmental Systems MSc programme. Julien is now Chair of Water Engineering at the University of Manchester and has an honorary appointment at UCL.