News

Dirk-Jan Walstra has been appointed to the Deltares Board of Directors in succession to Erik Janse and Ron Thiemann. He will take up his appointment from 1 February 2023. Erik Janse will retire in March. Ron Thiemann, who - just as Erik - has been a director at Deltares since its inception, will retire in June. Following Ron Thiemann's departure, the Deltares Board of Directors will consist of two members: Dirk-Jan Walstra and Annemieke Nijhof.

A new instrument has been developed to provide an answer to this question. On 17 January, Suzanne van der Meulen will receive her doctorate at Wageningen University for her thesis ‘Functional quality of urban surface water’. This thesis describes a new framework for the assessment of the functional quality of urban surface water.

Water-related hazards – like flooding, drought, pollution and other related issues – are a serious global risk, causing loss of life and damage to property, livelihoods, human health and economies. Economic growth, urbanisation and climate change will exacerbate the risks at many locations in the world. For example, flood risks are often underestimated and poorly managed due to the lack of data, particularly in less-developed regions. In addition, preparing for future coastal erosion and flooding requires data on several hazards, examples being erosion, waves, and extreme events. Until now, these datasets have not been readily available in a single environment.