Nathalie Asselman
Dr. Nathalie Asselman is a specialist advisor on flood risk management. She studied physical geography at Utrecht University, where she gained much experience in the morphodynamics of coastal areas, estuaries and lowland river systems. Her Ph.D. concerned the impact of climate and environmental change on transport and deposition of fine suspended sediment in the river Rhine.
Since 2002 she has been working on integrated flood risk management studies. She developed flood inundation models, carried out flood risk assessments and developed strategies aiming at flood prevention or mitigation of the consequences. She is presently involved in the Netherlands’Deltaprogramme Large Rivers, aiming at reducing the expected increase in flood risk (due to economic developments and climate change) at acceptable costs. She also participates in the implementation of the EU Flood Directive.
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Working experience
| 2010 - Present | Deltares | Specialist consultant Flood Risk Management and replacing head of the department Climate Adaptation and Flood Risk Management. |
| 2008 - 2010 | Deltares | Senior consultant Flood Risk Management and replacing head of the department Climate Adaptation and Flood Risk Management. |
| 2004 - 2008 | Delft Hydraulics | Senior consultant and replacing head of the department River Basin Management. |
| 1999 - 2004 | Delft Hydraulics | Environmental Consultant, River Basin Management Division. |
| 1997 - 1999 | WOTRO | Researcher Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research. |
| 1992 - 1999 | Utrecht University | Researcher. |
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Evaluation of the protection standards of the primary dikes along the rivers in the Netherlands. A cost benefit analysis was carried out. Risk for casualties was also taken into account.
The Netherlands, 2012 - 2013
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Development of maps indicating the potential for different Flood Risk Management measures, such as development of climate dikes, adaptive building and improvement of evacuation planning.
The Netherlands, 2012 - 2013
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Delta programme large Rivers: Flood risk in the Netherlands is expected to increase due to economic developments and climate change. The Delta programme Large rivers aims at reducing the flood risk at acceptable costs. A long-term flood risk management study is carried out.
The Netherlands, 2009 - Present
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Flood risk management study for Central Holland, looking at (1) alternative measures to prevent flooding or reduce the flooded area (2) the strength of canal dikes during large scale flooding
The Netherlands, 2009 - 2010
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Development of flood maps (indicating hazard and consequences) that are used for the development of flood risk management strategies as required for the Implementation of the EU flood directive.
The Netherlands, 2008 - Present
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Development of a framework for the assessment of climate proofing of flood prone areas in the city of Rotterdam (part of the city is not protected by dikes)
The Netherlands, 2008
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Study on the effectiveness of compartmentalization as a measure to reduce the consequence of potential floods in the Netherlands, carried out for the Dutch ministry of transport, public works and water management.
The Netherlands, 2007 - 2009
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Comparison of the methods and models that are used in the Netherlands and in Belgium for Flood Risk Management studies. The following modelling steps were compared: (1) estimation of probability of exceedence of water levels, (2) assumptions on duration and timing of the storm surge, (3) breach growth, (4) inundation of the polders, and (5) computation of economic damage and casualties.
The Netherlands and Belgium, 2007 - 2011
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Urban Flood Management (UFM): Development of strategies for urban flood risk management. Spatial planning, design (e.g. floating houses) and communication (awareness) are important elements.
The Netherlands, 2006 - 2008
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Europe: the FLOODsite project on integrated flood risk management in the EU 6th framework. Task leader of Task 8 on the deduction of guidelines on the development of 2D inundation models, and participant in Tasks on evacuation models and the development of a DSS for flood event management.
Europe, 2004 - 2009
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Comparison of the Flemish and Dutch flood risk methodologies
2012
Asselman, N.E.M. and Peeters, P. Comparison of the Flemish and Dutch flood risk methodologies, case study Zuid-Beveland, the Netherlands. In: Klijn, F. and Schweckendiek, T. (Eds) Comprehensive Flood Risk Management – research for policy and practice (international conference FOODrisk 2012, 20 – 22 November 2012, Rotterdam.
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Reconstruction and Analysis of the Po River Inundation of 1951
2012
Masoero, A., Claps, P., Asselman, N.E.M. Mosselman, E., Di Baldassarre, G. Reconstruction and Analysis of the Po River Inundation of 1951. Hydrological Processes, doi: 10.1002/hyp.9558
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Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of coastal flood damage estimates in the west of the Netherlands
2012
De Moel, H., Asselman N.E.M. Aerts, J.C.J.H. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of coastal flood damage estimates in the west of the Netherlands. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1045–1058, 2012
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Stakeholder involvement in the implementation of the EU flood directive in the Netherlands
2012
Asselman, Nathalie and Bouke Ottow. Stakeholder involvement in the implementation of the EU flood directive in the Netherlands. Paper at WG F Thematic Workshop on Implementation of the Directive 2007/60/EC “Stakeholder involvement in flood risk management”, Bucharest April 2012
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Compartmentalisation: flood consequence reduction by splitting up large polder areas
2010
Klijn, F., Asselman, N., Van der Most, H. Compartmentalisation: flood consequence reduction by splitting up large polder areas. Accepted for publication in Journal of flood risk management, 3, 3-17. Published Online: Oct 13 2009
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Flood inundation modelling: model choice and application
2009
Asselman, N., ter Maat J., de Wit, A. Verhoeven G., Soares Frazão, S., Velickovic, M., Goutiere, L., Zech, Y., Fewtrell, T., Bates, P. (2009). Flood inundation modelling: model choice and application. In: P. Samuels, S. Huntington, W. Allsop, J. Harrop (eds.) Flood Risk Management: Research and Practice (international conference FLOODrisk 2008, 30 September – 2 October 2008, Oxford).
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Comparison of varying complexity numerical models for the prediction of flood inundation in Greenwich
2009
Fewtrell, T., De Wit, A., Bates, P., Asselman, N. (2009). Comparison of varying complexity numerical models for the prediction of flood inundation in Greenwich, UK. In: P. Samuels, S. Huntington, W. Allsop, J. Harrop (eds.) Flood Risk Management: Research and Practice (international conference FLOODrisk 2008, 30 September – 2 October 2008, Oxford).
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Modelling of the 1953 inundation of the “Zuid Beveland” polders in the Netherlands
2008
Soares-Frazao, S., Asselman, N., Velickovic, M., Goutiere, L., Zech, Y. (2008). Modelling of the 1953 inundation of the “Zuid Beveland” polders in the Netherlands. River Flow conference 2008, Vol. 1., pp. 645-654.
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A method to estimate loss of life caused by large-scale floods in the Netherlands
2007
Asselman, N.E.M. and Jonkman, S.N. (2007). A method to estimate loss of life caused by large-scale floods in the Netherlands. In: S. Begum, M.J.F. Stive and J.W. Hall (eds.), Flood risk management in Europe – innovation in policy and practice (vol. 25 of Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards research), pp. 155-170. Springer, Dordrecht.
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Impact of climate and land use change on river discharge and the production, transport and deposition of fine sediment in the Rhine basin
2003
Middelkoop, H. and Asselman N.E.M. Impact of climate and land use change on river discharge and the production, transport and deposition of fine sediment in the Rhine basin – a summary of recent results. In: A. Lang, K. Hennrich and K. Dikau (eds.), Long term hill slope and fluvial system modeling: concepts and case studies from the Rhine river catchment. Lecture notes in earth sciences, 101, 157-182. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. ISBN 3-540-00982-5
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Method for the estimation of loss of life caused by floods in the Netherlands
2003
Jonkman, S.N. and N.E.M. Asselman. Method for the estimation of loss of life caused by floods in the Netherlands. GIS & RS in hydrology, Water Resources and Environment, 1, 182-192
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The impact of changes in climate and land use on soil erosion, transport and deposition of suspended sediment in the River Rhine
2003
Asselman N.E.M., H. Middelkoop & P.M. van Dijk. The impact of changes in climate and land use on soil erosion, transport and deposition of suspended sediment in the River Rhine. Hydrological Processes, 17, 3225-3244.
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Development and application of a 1D floodplain sedimentation model for the River Rhine in The Netherlands
2002
Asselman, N.E.M. and M. van Wijngaarden. Development and application of a 1D floodplain sedimentation model for the River Rhine in The Netherlands. Journal of Hydrology 268, 127–142
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Assessment of the hydraulic roughness of river flood plains using laser altimetry
2002
Asselman, N.E.M., H. Middelkoop, M.R. Ritzen and M.W. Straatsma. Assessment of the hydraulic roughness of river flood plains using laser altimetry. In: F.J. Dyer, M.C. Thoms and J.M. Olley (Eds.), The structure, function and management implications of fluvial sedimentary systems. IAHS Publication 276, 381-388.
Activities
| 2007 - Present | Guest lecturer / invited speaker | Unesco IHE on flood risk management in the Netherlands and on flood inundation modeling using SOBEK-1D2D. |
| 2007 | Guest lecturer | Technical University Delft on the role of inundation modelling in Flood Risk Assessment |
| 2006 / 2008 | Lecturer | MTEC Training on Flood risk management and the Water Framework Directive |
| 2001 / 2003 | Lecturer | Foundation for Post Graduate Education (PAO), courses on inundation and damage modeling in Flood Risk Management. |