Lenka Ondráčková

Photo: Lenka Ondráčková Archive

You work as a fluvial geomorphologist in New Zealand, and in February you gave a lecture at the IAG International Conference on Geomorphology. What was that experience like for you?

It was quite a milestone for me, because in our field there really isn’t anywhere higher to go. There’s no more important event where the global scientific community in our discipline gathers than this conference.

I’m incredibly happy that I was able to present data on catchments from the Gisborne region, because they are truly unique. The rivers here change before your eyes.

Measurements on one of them showed that the river channel shifted by thirty metres after Cyclone Bola between 1988 and 2025, which would be absolutely unreal by Czech standards.

It was a major milestone for me, because in our field there really isn’t anywhere higher to go. There isn’t a more important event where the global scientific community in our discipline comes together than this conference.

I’m incredibly pleased that I was able to present data from catchments in the Gisborne region, as they are truly unique. The rivers here are changing right before your eyes.

Cross-section measurements from one site (Raparapaririki River) showed that the river channel aggraded by thirty metres following Cyclone Bola between 1988 and 2025 – something that would be absolutely unreal by Czech standards.

You work in New Zealand for the Gisborne District Council. What are the main issues you deal with in the region?

Within the Council, we try to contribute to flood protection. It’s all about understanding how rivers function in the landscape and what kind of threat they can pose.

On the east coast, where the Gisborne region is located, the biggest risks are floods and landslides. These are dangers both for the small coastal villages and for the region’s infrastructure as a whole.

It’s necessary to plan ahead and limit construction in these areas in advance. The focus should be on making sure these kinds of threats don’t keep happening in the future.

People here still vividly remember Cyclone Gabrielle from February 2023. Before that disaster, there weren’t even any flood-risk or hazard maps here, the way they’re common today in the Czech Republic.

Within the Gisborne District Council, we work to support flood protection and resilience. It’s all about understanding how rivers work within the landscape and the risks they can pose.

On the East coast, where the Gisborne region is located, the main hazards are flooding and landslides. These threaten not only small coastal communities but also the region’s infrastructure as a whole.

It’s essential to plan ahead and restrict development in high-risk areas. The focus should be on preventing these hazards from recurring in the future.

People here still vividly remember Cyclone Gabrielle from February 2023. Before that disaster, there were no flood risk or hazard maps in place – unlike in the Czech Republic, where such tools are now common.

What does your work involve?

What I enjoy most is fieldwork, when we collect data or carry out monitoring. We also have a lidar drone that can create a digital terrain model, which we use for things like flood modelling and comparing landscape changes in terms of erosion and sedimentation. Some of the results are really on the scale of tens of metres after a single flood event.

Then of course there’s office work as well. Luckily, I’m not a bureaucrat, but you do need to know how to interpret the data you collect and translate it from scientific jargon into normal language, so we can explain the processes to people and help them understand.

People living in remote communities understand their local rivers extremely well. They know exactly how much rain it takes before the water overtops the bridge.

So we share a common language with them, because as scientists we know how catchments function. We may have the terminology and the data to describe it, but the key is being able to explain the process in a way that helps engineers design better channel capacity or simply gets the conversation started in the first place.

It’s usually in the lowlands that people live and where intensive agriculture takes place. We need to work with the fact that we live in areas where rivers have always existed. It then depends on rainfall whether the river stays within its channel or spills out onto the floodplain.

Every catchment is completely unique, and you can’t always apply one universal principle. The fundamentals of how rivers and catchments work still hold true, but those principles also need to be considered in the context of individual communities.

What I enjoy most is fieldwork – collecting data and carrying out river monitoring. We also use a LiDAR-equipped drone to create digital terrain models, which support flood modelling and help us assess landscape changes such as erosion and sedimentation. In some cases, the changes can be on the scale of tens of metres after a single flood event.

Of course, there’s office work as well. Fortunately, my role isn’t purely administrative, but it does require the ability to interpret the data we collect and translate scientific terminology into plain language. That way, we can explain these processes clearly and help people understand what’s happening.

People living in remote communities often have an exceptional understanding of their local rivers. They know exactly how much rainfall it takes before the water overtops a bridge.

In that sense, we share a common language. As scientists, we understand how catchments function and have the data and terminology to describe it. The key, however, is being able to communicate these processes in a way that helps engineers design more effective channel capacity – or simply starts a meaningful conversation.

Most people live in floodplain, where intensive agriculture also takes place. We need to acknowledge the reality that these areas are landscapes shaped by rivers. Whether a river remains within its channel or spills onto the floodplain ultimately depends on rainfall.

Every catchment is truly unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. While the fundamental principles of river and catchment processes remain the same, they must always be considered in the context of individual communities.

People must surely appreciate work like that. What fulfills you the most about it?

The chance to help communities where people can become completely isolated if water takes out a bridge or floods the roads.

At the same time, it’s great to see the results of the measures we propose. Of course, it’s a team effort, but those measures can genuinely save someone’s life.

I really admire that even when disasters mean people may have no running water or no internet, they’re still able to function within these tiny communities.

But floods can be absolutely devastating in scale. Water can inundate an entire lowland area where cattle had been grazing before, and it can take years before normal life returns. And in the meantime, another flood may come…

What motivates me most is the chance to help communities that can become completely isolated when a bridge is washed out or roads are flooded.

At the same time, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of the flood protection measures we propose. It’s always a team effort, of course, but these measures can genuinely save lives.

I really admire how resilient people are – how, even when disasters leave them without running water or internet, they continue to function within these small communities.

At the same time, floods can be devastating in scale. Water can inundate entire floodplain areas where cattle had been grazing just days before, and it can take years for life to return to normal. And sometimes, before that happens, another flood arrives…

“It would be a dream come true”

What path took you from Brno all the way to New Zealand?

I arrived here in September 2022 on a working holiday visa. For Czechs under 35, there are 1,200 places available, which let you come here to work in orchards, travel, sleep in your car – basically just earn enough for what you need.

One day I was walking across a huge potato field in the Canterbury region with the owner, checking the health of the plants. We were chatting, and he asked me what I actually did, since I seemed to understand weather, and we were talking about water, mountains, and rivers.

I told him I had a PhD in fluvial geomorphology, and before that I studied geography, where you need to understand at least a bit about weather and plenty of other things too. A storm was coming toward us, and I told him it was going to rain.

He was surprised that I could tell, and said they could use someone like me here in my actual field.

That really got me thinking. It would be a dream come true if I could work here in my own profession. At first it hadn’t even crossed my mind when I was in Gisborne picking oranges.

It was five months after Cyclone Gabrielle, and on my own I started looking into information about the scale of the floods, the flooded orchards, and all the other catastrophic impacts.

I arrived here in September 2022 on a working holiday visa. For Czechs under 35, there are 1,200 places available, allowing you to come, work in orchards, travel, sleep in your car – basically just earn enough for what you need.

One day, I was walking across a vast potato field in the Canterbury region with the owner, checking the health of the crops. We were chatting, and he asked what I actually did, since I seemed to know a lot about the weather – we’d been talking about water, mountains, and rivers.

I told him I had a PhD in fluvial geomorphology, and before that I studied geography, which gives you a solid grounding in weather and many other fields. A storm was approaching, and I mentioned it was going to rain.

He was surprised I could tell and said they could use someone like me there in my actual field.

That really got me thinking. It would be a dream come true to work here in my own profession. Until then, it hadn’t even crossed my mind while I was in Gisborne picking oranges.

It was about five months after Cyclone Gabrielle, and I started looking into information on my own – about the scale of the floods, the inundated orchards, and all the other catastrophic impacts.

So how did you get from fruit picking to a position as a fluvial geomorphologist?

Between the working holiday and my job at Gisborne District Council, I managed to spend a month on the South Island doing research work as a surveyor. It wasn’t my main specialization, but it helped me make contacts and show that I knew the field.

New Zealanders don’t really trust you much as a foreigner if you don’t have local professional experience.

When the Council got back to me, I was thrilled and stressed at the same time. I had no idea what to expect, or whether I’d be good enough for them.

I had studied the field and already had nearly six and a half years of experience in it, but conditions in New Zealand are different, and you don’t know the local landscape well enough right away to be dealing with flood mitigation measures.

Between my working holiday and my role at Gisborne District Council, I managed to spend a month on the South Island working as a surveyor on a research project. It wasn’t my main area of expertise, but it helped me build contacts and demonstrate my knowledge of the field.

In New Zealand, it can be difficult to gain trust as a foreigner without local professional experience.

When the Gisborne District Council got back to me, I felt both thrilled and anxious. I had no idea what to expect or whether I would be good enough.

Although I had studied the field and already had nearly six and a half years of experience, conditions in New Zealand are different. You don’t immediately know the local landscape well enough to work confidently on flood mitigation measures.

Still, you proved yourself and now work side by side with locals every day. Looking back, what was the hardest part about your beginnings at the Council?

It was a huge learning curve. You start the job and have to rise to a certain level incredibly fast, because suddenly you’re part of meetings about things like land acquisition. Overnight, you have to communicate in professional English, and it’s no longer fun little small talk in an orchard with the other backpackers.

We were recently discussing how we’re going to raise stopbanks to protect one village.

But in the first phase, the biggest task was gathering data, because there wasn’t much of it here – not even about the original cyclone from 1988. I went into archives, searched for flood inundation maps, talked to people.

It’s a sensitive topic, and people can tell immediately from your accent that you’re a foreigner.

It was a huge learning curve. You start the job and have to reach a certain level very quickly, because suddenly you’re involved in meetings about things like land acquisition. Overnight, you need to communicate in professional English – it’s no longer casual small talk in an orchard with other backpackers.

We were recently discussing how to raise stopbanks to protect a village.

In the first stage, the biggest task was data collection, because there wasn’t much available – there wasn’t even complete information about the original cyclone in 1988. I worked through archives, searched for flood inundation maps, and spoke with local residents.

It’s a sensitive topic, and people can immediately tell from your accent that you’re a foreigner.

If some students wanted to take inspiration from your path, what would you advise them about establishing themselves in New Zealand?

You can study here, or start with casual work and simply ask around.

People here have a completely different nature. They’re kind to each other, they want to help you. Even when I’m travelling somewhere, they might bring me a fish for breakfast in the morning if they have an extra one. Interpersonal relationships here are really lovely.

You can study here, or start with casual work and simply ask around. People here have a very different attitude – they are kind to each other and genuinely willing to help. Even when I’m travelling, someone might bring me a fish for breakfast if they have an extra one. The interpersonal relationships are really warm and open.

"The field is practical, fieldwork is the foundation"

During your studies, you also took part several times in expeditions to Svalbard and Antarctica. How did those experiences enrich you? And how do those landscapes differ from New Zealand?

I think it all fits together nicely. In Gisborne, there are gravel-bed wandering rivers – braided rivers – which are unstable and constantly changing. Similar processes can be observed in proglacial landscapes in the Arctic. That’s where I collected data for my dissertation over several summer seasons.

Svalbard was also an incredibly important experience for me. When the sun shines on the glaciers twenty-four hours a day in summer, frequent floods occur. That allows you to observe changes in sediment sources such as moraines, side tributaries, or landslides.

I still draw on those experiences today in New Zealand.

I think it all connects very well. In Gisborne, there are gravel-bed wandering rivers – braided rivers – that are highly dynamic and constantly changing. Similar processes can be observed in proglacial environments within polar regions, where I collected data for my dissertation over several summer seasons.

Svalbard was also an incredibly important experience for me. In summer, when sunlight reaches the glaciers almost continuously, frequent floods occur. This allows you to observe changes in sediment sources such as moraines, tributaries, and landslides.

I still draw on those experiences in my work in New Zealand today.

Alongside your PhD, you also worked for the company Envipartner. What did your job involve there?

We helped mayors with planning and decision-making on where to use grants so they would actually make sense. We prepared flood management plans, runoff studies, pond dredging projects, erosion studies – all within a small team.

Later, when I worked as the head of flood inspections, we also employed students whom I had taught in geography, so they could get hands-on experience with fieldwork, map production, and preparing documents together with us as one team.

We supported mayors in planning and decision-making on how to use grants effectively so that investments actually made sense. We prepared flood management plans, runoff studies, pond dredging projects, and erosion assessments – all within a small team.

Later, when I worked as head of flood inspection assessments, we also employed students I had previously taught in geography. This allowed them to gain hands-on experience in fieldwork, mapping, and preparing technical documentation as part of a team.

Why did you decide to study Geography and Cartography in the first place?

We’d have to go all the way back to 1997, when I was still a little girl. At that time, we experienced major floods, and I vividly remember people in our village in Moravia being evacuated by helicopter.

At school, I always loved geography, and my teachers in primary school and later at grammar school played a huge role as well.

When I started studying geography in Brno, I quickly realized it wasn’t going to be easy. The first semester was tough, but fortunately I managed.

What really fascinated me later was working on my bachelor’s and master’s theses in the Černá Opava catchment, and from that point on, I had no doubts about where I wanted to go next.

We have to go back to 1997, when I was a little girl. At that time, we experienced major floods, and I vividly remember people in our village in Moravia being evacuated by helicopter.

At school, I always loved geography, and both my primary and secondary school teachers played a significant role in shaping my interest.

When I started studying geography in Brno, I quickly realized it wouldn’t be easy. The first semester was challenging, but fortunately I managed to get through it.

What fascinated me later was working on my bachelor’s and master’s theses in the Černá Opava catchment. From that point on, I had no doubts about my direction.

What would you recommend today to students who are considering this field and a future career in it?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter that much whether you’re in New Zealand or in Europe. What matters is that you don’t just learn things from books. Our field is truly practical. It’s all about combining a solid knowledge base with fieldwork experience and the ability to interpret data.

Data processing, photogrammetry, drones, GPS surveying… you need to be able to handle all of that, but also to carry out a project from the very beginning – going into the field, collecting the data yourself, then processing it into outputs and maybe even presenting the results somewhere, if the opportunity comes.

At the beginning, you need to push through the compulsory courses. After that, though, you can start choosing what really interests you. It’s definitely worth taking courses in cartography as well — those helped me a lot.

It’s also a good idea to go on Erasmus Programme – study abroad and get practical experience, maybe as a volunteer doing fieldwork or by working part-time on a project. Ask questions, look for opportunities on LinkedIn or in different Facebook groups, and keep an eye on environmental organizations or flood management companies where internship opportunities might come up.

But most importantly, you need to think about whether you’ll actually enjoy it. I can’t imagine spending most of my life working somewhere that wouldn’t fulfill me. I need to see meaning in my work.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether you study in New Zealand or Europe. What matters is that you don’t rely only on theory from textbooks and lectures. Our field is highly practical. It’s about combining a strong theoretical foundation with field experience and the ability to interpret data.

You need to be able to work with data processing, photogrammetry, drones, and GPS surveying – but also to carry out projects from start to finish: going into the field, collecting data yourself, processing it, and ideally presenting the results if the opportunity arises.

At the beginning, you have to get through the compulsory courses. After that, you can start choosing lectures that genuinely interest you. It’s definitely worth taking cartography courses as well—they helped me a lot.

It’s also valuable to take part in Erasmus programmes, study abroad, and gain practical experience through volunteering or part-time fieldwork. Look for opportunities on LinkedIn or in environmental and flood management organisations, where internships often appear.

But most importantly, you need to consider whether you will truly enjoy this path. I can’t imagine spending most of my life in a job that wouldn’t fulfil me. I need to see meaning in what I do.