dr. DW (David) Walker
Externe medewerkerI strive to be an interdisciplinary researcher and currently research drought in northeast Brazil. My postdoc position involves integrating stakeholder perspectives of water scarcity, remote sensing and socio-hydrological modelling, and analysis of drought policy and water governance. We aim to develop a participatory drought diagnosis toolbox to improve drought preparedness and mitigation for water users, managers, traders and policy-makers.
I have a master's in hydrogeology from the University of Birmingham in the UK and worked for many years for engineering consultancies in various countries and fields including gold mining in Mexico and Azerbaijan and waste management in the UK and Middle East. During my PhD at Newcastle University in the UK (2014-2018) I evaluated the potential for small-scale irrigation and the resilience of water resources for rural communities in Ethiopia and South Africa. I subsequently worked as a postdoc at Newcastle University continuing vulnerable water resources research in sub-Saharan Africa and India to reduce food insecurity and contribute towards poverty alleviation and gender equality. Following a fellowship at Kyushu University in Japan, where I partnered a social sciences professor to research impacts on communities of involvement in citizen science water projects in Nepal, I moved to Wageningen University in November 2020.