About Tatjana Edler

Tatjana Edler is engaged in a range of projects centered on complex systems thinking, driven by a fascination with the intricate interdependencies between human and natural systems. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Spatial Sciences from Leuphana University in Germany and an Erasmus Mundus master’s degree in Hydroinformatics and Water Management (EUROAQUAE+), completed at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis (France), and Newcastle University (UK). Her multidisciplinary background enables her to approach environmental challenges from multiple angles, with a particular focus on river basin management and adaptation strategies.

Tatjana’s work emphasizes human-nature interactions and the dynamics of collaboration—exploring what motivates collective action, how trust and shared goals are cultivated, and how top-down governance and bottom-up initiatives can be mutually reinforcing in driving environmental protection.
As part of the Water, Peace and Security (WPS) Partnership, Tatjana supports the integration of data-driven tools with stakeholder engagement to anticipate and prevent water-related conflicts. Drawing on her training in intercultural communication and conflict resolution, gained through volunteering in Asia and the Middle East, she contributes to the development of dashboards, agent-based models, stakeholder workshops, and other collaborative decision-making frameworks at Deltares, focusing on the nexus of water stress and migration.

Tatjana is also actively involved in transboundary river basin management in Europe, with a focus on the Rhine river basin. She contributes to research on socio-economic transitions and sediment management in collaboration with the CHR (International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin) and ICPR (International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine). Her work involves applying the RIBASIM water allocation model, notably in the STARS4Water project, which aims to improve understanding of climate change impacts on water resource availability. Her role centers on fostering dialogue between scientific communities and river commissions, aligning sediment strategies with ecological and navigational objectives.

In Austria, Tatjana contributes to water cycle restoration and ecological revitalization on a mountain farm, where she explores nature-based solutions and traditional land management practices. This work builds on over a decade of international environmental volunteering, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge and ecological stewardship in restoring hydrological balance and biodiversity in alpine landscapes.