Ruud Bartholomeus appointed as special professor of Plant Water Stress and Regional Water Management

Ruud Bartholomeus specialises in hydrological and physiological processes at the interface of soil, water, plants, and the atmosphere. He studied Land and Water Management at Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, as well as Hydrology and Water Quality at WUR. After graduation, he conducted his PhD research at the Systems Ecology department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and at KWR Water Research Institute in Nieuwegein. Currently, Bartholomeus is Principal Scientist of the Ecohydrology team and Chief Science Officer at KWR. Furthermore, he has been a visiting researcher on issues related to regional freshwater supply at WUR since 2017.

‘Even areas with an annual precipitation surplus, like the Netherlands, are experiencing drought in agriculture and nature,’ Bartholomeus explains. ‘Weather extremes occur more frequently due to climate change, but the demand for water in all sectors - drinking water, industry, agriculture - is also increasing. This requires adaptation of water systems and the use of freshwater resources.’

Knowledge of plants and their environment needed for responsible and sustainable water management

Generating more knowledge about responsible water use is key in Bartholomeus’ research. He researches water management and water use in different sectors, and how measures have an effect on the availability of water for plants in nature as well as for crops. His main focus is on the unsaturated zone, which is the layer above the groundwater level. ‘Models can not only help us estimate how water management and water use will affect the availability of water and oxygen for plants in the current situation,’ he continues. 'They can also predict what will happen when weather patterns change. I’d like to understand how water systems are affected by more extreme weather, having an effect on plants in turn, and the impact of measures taken.'

The fundamental knowledge resulting from Bartholomeus' research at WUR is interwoven with KWR’s more applied research. In this way, it also finds its way into practice and policy. ‘Since the dry years 2018-2020 awareness has grown that a change is really needed. In practice, this will be about how to best design the landscape while taking water use into account. And also about the kind of water management that is needed, and which measures should be taken by governments, water management authorities, and water users.’

Ruud Bartholomeus will give his inaugural lecture at Wageningen University & Research on February 14^th, 2025.