Elfatih Eltahir is interested in understanding how global climate change as well as regional land use/ land cover change may impact society through changes in the patterns of water availability, extreme weather, and spread of vector-borne diseases. He addresses research questions at the intersection of evolving natural phenomena and vulnerable societal contexts. Together with his students, he develops sophisticated numerical models (MIT Regional Climate Model (MRCM); and the Hydrology, Entomology and Malaria Transmission Simulator (HYDREMATS)) that are used for projecting such impacts at regional scales. He tests these models against satellite observations and archived data sets of hydrologic and atmospheric variables, as well as data collected in his own field campaigns.