Albert van Dijk appointed professor Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management

This chair group aims to improve understanding of catchment-scale hydrological processes through advanced measurement, modelling and assimilation techniques. An important theme is climate adaptation. For example, challenges caused by changing rainfall and droughts patterns and rising sea levels.

Prof. Van Dijk: "I have lived in Australia for the past seventeen years, where I also worked on the use of models and satellite measurements in water management. Australia used to have very different water problems from the Netherlands. Who is allowed to take how much water from the rivers and reservoirs, for example, and how to deal with drought? But drought is becoming ever more problematic in the Netherlands as well.”

Satellite data to monitor drought

Because of its past, the Netherlands has unique expertise in drainage and flood protection. “Within Wageningen University & Research, but also at other Dutch universities and institutes,” says Prof. Van Dijk. “But always getting rid of water also make us more vulnerable to drought. That creates its own research challenges.”

Satellite measurements have a role to play in water management. Prof. Van Dijk: "I like working with satellite data. They can tell you so much. For example, to understand and warn for drought impacts or to track down water theft. In Australia and in many parts of the world, satellite observations can be the only measurements available. But they also have their use in the Netherlands.”

Environmental sciences

During his studies, Prof. Van Dijk became interested in the changing interaction between people, geology, vegetation and the water cycle. He specialised his study programme towards environmental sciences. He undertook his PhD research investigating soil erosion and catchment hydrology in Java, Indonesia. In 2003, he moved to Australia to join the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and in 2009 took up a position as professor in water science and management at the Australian National University. There, he founded the ANU Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics, a team developing new methods to measure, monitor and forecast weather, water availability and landscape condition. These methods often combine so-called ‘Big Data’ from satellite observations and sensor networks with field research, biophysical modelling and machine learning.

Prof. Van Dijk has a passion for practical, operational science applications. He feels inspired by the strong global connections of Wageningen University & Research, as well as its focus on solutions that harness the power of nature, rather than trying to interfere with it.