Sun Yan Evans

What do you do at Mott MacDonald?

I’m a chartered civil engineer with four decades of experience in the water sector and a lifetime’s fascination with the power of water. Everywhere, life needs water. It is an incredible resource, but too much, too little, or poor-quality water can be damaging. In my role as a technical director, I focus on water resource management, resilience, water quality and flood risk management.

Water engineering touches so many areas of life – our health, food production, flood protection and diverse ecosystems, and it interacts with transport, building and energy systems. As a water engineer, I work with people all over the world to solve problems – I find this enormously fulfilling.

Tell us about your career journey

My career began in China in the mid-1980s, where I was employed at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science. There, I worked on water engineering and water quality projects across the country, contributing to standards that remain central to the country’s national guidelines today.

In 1990, I joined a research centre in the UK, which led to a role at a small UK consultancy.  There, I led and grew the water department.

I came to Mott MacDonald in 1998 and have since held a number of exciting roles including operating as Global Practice Leader for Storm and Flood Management, Framework Manager, and successfully developing our offshore modelling capability.

At Mott MacDonald, I have had the opportunity to work on some of the most forward-thinking projects worldwide, focusing on water quality, flood resilience and water modelling.

Every day here is new and exciting, with numerous projects and initiatives to get involved in. The diversity of thought and culture at Mott MacDonald is remarkable, and the brilliant people I work with make it truly enriching experience.  If you are dedicated and want to make a difference, you can truly thrive in our business.

How do you contribute to Mott MacDonald making a difference to people and planet?

I embrace the challenge of finding solutions to complex problems. I prioritise creative thinking, challenging assumptions and work collaboratively to achieve project objectives and provide added value to our clients and the communities they serve. Treating each project as unique, I continually ask myself, “how can this be done more efficiently?”

Environmental considerations are fundamental to my work, and I strive to raise awareness of opportunities whenever possible. For example, in Chad and Cameroon, I helped develop a better understanding of the benefits of improving biodiversity along 300km of the Waza Lagone river system and its floodplain.

Collaborating with diverse colleagues and pooling our skills and technical excellence helps us tackle complex engineering issues on a global scale. The spirit of teamwork and the constant pursuit of innovative solutions enable us to make a positive difference.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is mentoring and guiding young professionals. Seeing them learn and conquer challenges truly brightens my day and brings me immense joy. Throughout my career, I have strived for the highest levels of technical excellence and enjoy passing my knowledge on to the next generation. It's like being a football coach – witnessing your team develop, thrive, and share in their excitement is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.   

Do you have a mantra you live by or that motivates you?

Always strive for technical excellence and face challenges head-on.

Describe your role on a landmark project

Since the 1980s, I have been at the forefront of developing and applying computer modelling techniques to solve engineering challenges and water quality challenges more efficiently. This experience proved invaluable when I developed a new, robust and highly cost-effective methodology that solved the urgent challenge of assessing flood risk and the potential impact of dam breaches for more than 2000 reservoirs. Traditional methods would have only allowed for assessment of 100 within the available funding.

The approach used innovative, automated and seamlessly integrated techniques at all stages from data collection and analysis to reporting and visualisations, to effectively communicate the results.

This work in dam breach modelling and mapping revolutionised the industry, enabling the rapid prediction of flood extent, hazard, and peak arrival times. This has more efficient emergency response and planning at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, earning it the status of industry standard in the UK and widespread international use.

I am particularly proud of this project because it was not thought possible to deliver such comprehensive results at such a low cost. The solution exemplifies my mantra of engineers making possible what previously seemed impossible.