About Erik Ruijgh

Drs. Erik Ruijgh is an expert in integrated water management and senior project manager on hydraulic infrastructures


He started his career in 1988 at Delft Hydraulics in modeling nutrient emissions from agricultural fields in the Netherlands. He later developed, during a series of projects in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as China SE Asia and Egypt, a generic tool to model waste load emissions to surface water. The tool is now implemented as Emission Module in the Deltares Software products Sobek and Delft3D.


In 2002 Mr. Ruijgh became manager of the Delft Hydraulics Catchment Hydrology Division, responsible for discharge extremes, the development of Delft-FEWS for operational flood forecasting, and global hydrology and climate change. After the start of Deltares in 2008 he headed the Deltares Catchment Hydrology Division responsible for global hydrology and climate change, as well as urban and regional hydrology.


From 2010-2014, he was scientific manager for the development of the Deltamodel for the Dutch Deltaprogram. The Deltamodel includes a wide range of models (hydrodynamic, hydrologic, dike strenght, nature, agriculture). The overarching objective of the Deltamodel is to support policy analysis in integrated water management for the Netherlands in the field of flood protection and fresh water management for the next century.


Since 2015 Mr. Ruijgh joined the Deltares team for hydraulic structures. He is an expert and senior project manager for a number of national and international projects focusing on locks, weirs and storm surge barriers. He recently was involved in project on the New Panama Locks. Mr. Ruijgh is also managing the Deltares knowledge impulse program on Replacement of Hydraulic Infrastructure.

Working experience

  1. Deltares

    Manager Deltares knowledge impulse program on Replacement of Hydraulic Infrastructure

    2018 - present
  2. Deltares

    Expert and senior project manager on hydraulic structures

    2015 - 2018
  3. Deltares

    Scientic manager development Deltamodel

    2010 - 2014
  4. Deltares

    Manager Catchment Hydrology Division

    2008 - 2010
  5. WL Delft Hydraulics

    Manager Catchment Hydrology Division

    2002 - 2007
  6. WL Delft Hydraulics

    Senior advisor, River Basin Management Division

    2000 - 2002
  7. WL Delft Hydraulics

    Marketing coordinator Central and Eastern Europe

    2000 - 2002
  8. WL Delft Hydraulics

    Environmental Engineer, River Basin Management Division

    1988 - 1999

Share this page.