Esther van Baaren
Expert on freshwater resources management in saline areas
+31(0)883357774
Esther.vanBaaren@Deltares.nl LinkedIn profileEsther van Baaren is an expert in the field of freshwater resources management in saline deltaic areas. During her MSc Applied Mathematics at the Delft University of Technology she specialized on the simulation of flow and transport processes. Already during her studies she focused on the availability of fresh water in a saline environment in an internship in the Sine Saloum Delta in Senegal and in her MSc thesis at Royal Haskoning. At TNO she started as a researcher geohydrology and modeller density dependent groundwater with coupled salt transport on case studies such as Volkerak Zoommeer, effects of climate change on fresh groundwater resources and salinization in the Province of Zuid-Holland, groundwater extractions in Flevoland and changing fresh groundwater lenses in dune areas due to coastal defense (Sand Engine). As a researcher / consultant fresh water resources at Deltares she broadened her expertise to fresh water management, including water system analysis, monitoring, measures fresh water supply and stakeholder participation. As a senior researcher / consultant Esther was project manager of several research and more applied projects in a multi-party setting such as FRESHEM Zeeland, effects of deepening the New Waterway on the groundwater system and the Water Farm. With her expertise on simulations and Managed Aquifer Storage and Recovery she participated in the Jurong Island project in Singapore and GO-FRESH in the Netherlands.
Working experience
| 2007- present | Deltares | Senior advisor/researcher fresh water resources |
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Verdieping Nieuwe Waterweg
The Netherlands, 2015
Positions held: project leader and geohydrologist
Main project features: Risk assessment on the effects of the deepening of the Canal the New Waterway on changes in the groundwater system (groundwater heads, salinisation and contamination).
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FRESHEM Zeeland
The Netherlands, 2014 - present
Positions held: project manager
Main project features: FRESHEM Zeeland (FREsh Salt groundwater distribution by Helicopter ElectroMagnetic survey in the Province of Zeeland) is a knowledge programme involving Deltares, TNO and BGR. Resistivity data of the subsoil (up to 100 m depth) collected by a helicopter will be translated into chloride concentration of the groundwater. The aim is to map the fresh water resources of the groundwater.
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Jurong Island
Singapore, 2013 - present
Positions held: Consultant modelling and fresh water availability
Main project features: The Jurong Island Groundwater Modeling and Risk Assessment project investigated fresh groundwater availability on the island’s reclaimed land in order to assess the potentiality as a viable and sustainable source of acceptable quality groundwater for water use. Combination of a monitoring campaign, a 3-dimensional groundwater model in iMOD/MODFLOW/SEAWAT and water management solutions.
Activities performed: The building of a density dependent groundwater model with coupled salt transport, the implementation of Aquifer Storage and Recovery and climate change scenario's, consulting on sustainable fresh water management.
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GO-FRESH
The Netherlands, 2012 - present
Positions held: work package leader two field tests: Creekridge Infiltration System and Drains2Buffer
Main project features: Showcases of three promising technologies which increase local and regional water supply by Aquifer Storage and Recovery. Field testing in cooperation with farmers and Water Board.
Activities performed: co-inventing innovative Aquifer Storage and Recovery solutions, work package leader two field tests (Drains2Buffer and Creekridge Infiltration System).
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Kustlab
The Netherlands, 2011 - 2013
Positions held: Project leader, geohydrologist and modeller
Main project features: Combination of food supplies (aquaculture), landscape and nature development in a saline polder. Main goal was to develop a hydrogeological instrument to predict and quantify effects of the Coastal Laboratory on the groundwater system and salinization of the groundwater. The numerical model was calibrated with quantitative as well as qualitative data from the monitoring campaign.
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Coastal defense and the groundwater system
The Netherlands, 2010 - 2011
Positions held: researcher and modeller
Main project features: Analysis of the effects of the broadening of the coastal dunes and the Dutch sand engine on the drinking water supply in the dunes, including countermeasures against salinisation.
Activities performed: Construction of a numeric al density dependent groundwater flow model with coupled salt transport.
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The Water Farm
The Netherlands, 2010 - present
Positions held: project leader and researcher fresh water resources
Main project features: A collaborative (including farmers, estates, water board, environmental organizations, municipal) and innovative project with the aim of collecting and storing fresh water during the winter for use in summer (during dry growing season of crops). Implementation of several techniques (separation fresh and saline surface water, increasing freshwater resources in groundwater, recovery fresh seepage) in a multi- stakeholder setting with participative monitoring.
Activities performed: Cooperative modelling, participative monitoring, research fresh and saline water system, project management
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Salinisation of phreatic groundwater in the Province of Zeeland
The Netherlands, 2010 - 2015
Positions held: researcher and modeller
Main project features: A study on strategic water resources management in a changing environment. The focus is on water system analysis of groundwater and surface water resources at the Dutch coastal zone, for both quantity as well as quality issues (salt). Part of this project is the construction of a 3D density dependent numerical groundwater model.
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CliWat and Climate Proof Areas
EU, 2010 - 2011
Positions held: researcher fresh water resources
Main project features: INTERREG IV projects in the North Sea Region with the main objectives to evaluation impacts of climate change on groundwater and surface water systems, and to provide data for adaptive and sustainable water management and infrastructure.
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Sustainable exploitation fresh groundwater Flevoland
The Netherlands, 2007 - 2008
Positions held: researcher and modeller
Main project features: Integration of several groundwater components (i.e. water system analysis, 3D fresh-brackish-saline mapping, modelling on effects of groundwater extractions) for strategy development for sustainable exploitation of fresh groundwater in the Province of Flevoland in the Netherlands.
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FRESHEM Kanaalzone Gent-Terneuzen, 3D zoet-brak-zout kartering van het grondwater
Van Baaren, E., Delsman, J., Pauw, P., Karaoulis, M., Dabekaussen, W., Gunnink, J., Siemon, B. FRESHEM Kanaalzone Gent-Terneuzen, 3D zoet-brak-zout kartering van het grondwater. Deltares rapport 2016.
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Veranderingen in stroming en grondwaterkwaliteit als gevolg van verdieping Nieuwe Waterweg
Van Baaren, E., Janssen, G., Borre, W., Marsman, M., Buma, J., Burgering, L., De Lange, W. Veranderingen in stroming en grondwaterkwaliteit als gevolg van verdieping Nieuwe Waterweg. Deltares rapport 1210750-000-BGS-0014, 2015
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Jurong Island Groundwater modelling and Risk Assessment Study; Final report.
Van Baaren, E., Lange, G., Vermeulen, P., Vonhögen-Peeters, L., Saha, A., Lee, W.K., Taisne, A., Babovic, V., 2015. Jurong Island Groundwater modelling and Risk Assessment Study; Final report. Prepared for PUB. NUSDeltares, Singapore.
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Increasing a freshwater lens below a creek ridge using a controlled artificial recharge and drainage system: a case study in the Netherlands
Pauw, P.S., Van Baaren, E.S., Visser, M. De Louw, P.G.B., Oude Essink, G.H.P., 2015, Increasing a freshwater lens below a creek ridge using a controlled artificial recharge and drainage system: a case study in the Netherlands, Hydrogeology Journal
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Dunne regenwaterlenzen in zoute kwelgebieden
De Louw, P.G.B., Oude Essink, G.H.P., Eeman, S., Van Baaren, E.S., Vermue, E., Delsman, J.R., Pauw, P.S., Siemon, B., Gunnink, J.L., Post, V.E.A., 2015, Dunne regenwaterlenzen in zoute kwelgebieden, Landschap, 32, 5-15.
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GO-FRESH: valorisatie kansrijke oplossingen voor een robuuste zoetwatervoorziening
Oude Essink, G.H.P.; van Baaren, E.S.; Zuurbier, K.G.; Velstra, J.; Veraart, J.; Brouwer, W.; Faneca Sànchez, M.; Pauw, P.S.; de Louw, P.G.B.; Vreke, J.; Schoevers, M. GO-FRESH: valorisatie kansrijke oplossingen voor een robuuste zoetwatervoorziening. Deltares rapport 2014.
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Hydrologische studie Schouwen-Duiveland: zout- én zoetwatervoorziening
Baaren, E.S van ; Louw, P.G.B. de ; Faneca Sanchez, M. ; Vries, B. de, Hydrologische studie Schouwen-Duiveland: zout- én zoetwatervoorziening. H2O-45(2012)19 p. 32 - 35
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Modelling climate change effects on a Dutch coastal groundwater system using Airbone Electro Magnetic measurements
M. Faneca Sànchez, J. L. Gunnink, E. S. van Baaren, G. H. P. Oude Essink, B. Siemon, E. Auken, W. Elderhorst and P. G. B. de Louw. , Modelling climate change effects on a Dutch coastal groundwater system using Airbone Electro Magnetic measurements. ,MS No.: hess-2012-183
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Shallow rainwater lenses in deltaic areas with saline
Louw, P.G.B., de, Eeman, S., Siemon, B., Voortman, B.R., Gunnink, J., Baaren, E.S., van and G.H.P. Oude Essink, Shallow rainwater lenses in deltaic areas with saline seepage, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 8, 7657-7707, 2011.
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Effects of climate change on coastal groundwater systems: A modeling study in the Netherlands
Oude Essink, G.H.P., E.S. van Baaren, and P.G.B. De Louw 2010, Effects of climate change on coastal groundwater systems: A modeling study in the Netherlands, Water Resour. Res., 46, W00F04