Prof. Lee’s research revolves around the use of hydraulics to solve environmental problems, in particular the prediction and control of water quality. He is internationally recognized for his work on the theory of buoyant jets and its environmental applications. Awards and honours he received include the Senior Research Fellowship Award of the Croucher Foundation (1998), Innovation Award for Construction Industry of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (2002), Best paper award of the 14th IAHR APD Conference (2004), the 2010 China State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class, Principal Investigator), the 2013 Karl Emil Hilgard Hydraulic Prize of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the 2017 Innovation Award (First Prize, Sustainability) of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council. He is also the first Asia-based academic to receive the ASCE Hunter Rouse Hydraulic Engineering Award (2009). He was elected into the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom in 2008, and was bestowed Honorary Membership by the International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) in 2015.