prof.dr. F (Fulco) Ludwig

Prof. Dr. Fulco Ludwig is a multidisciplinary scientist focusing on studying global change impacts and adaptation in relation to water, food and energy resources and natural ecosystems. He has a strong background in climate impact modelling and data analyses and has extensive field experience in Africa, Australia, the US and Asia.

Fulco Ludwig did his PhD at Wageningen University focussing on ecohydrology of savannas in Tanzania. Thereafter, he did a post-doc at the University of Georgia and at CSIRO in Perth, Australia. Here he worked on climate change impacts on agricultural production and land use. In 2006, he started working at the Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate focussing on linking climate science with the water sector. In 2007, he again joined Wageningen University initially to work as a research scientist and from 2013 as Associate professor. In December 2016 he was appointed as a professor within the Water Systems and Global Change group.

Within his research programme on water and climate change, Fulco brings together different disciplines to study the global change impacts and adaptation in relation to water, food and energy resources and natural ecosystems. The research projects of Fulco Ludwig address the future vulnerability of water resources due to climate change, population growth, land use change and economic development. Climate change will affect future water availability and increase drought risks. Future population growth and economic development will increase the demand for water, food and energy. At the same time, we also need sufficient water to guarantee ecosystems services and to protect biodiversity. The central research question of Fulco’s work is how global change will affect the synergies and trade-offs within the food-water-energy nexus. To address this question modelling frameworks, linking climate, water and agricultural  models are developed. These modelling frameworks are used to assess the impact of global change on water systems and to develop novel climate adaptation services.

Fulco Ludwig also contributes to developing integrated future scenarios and climate change adaptation policies and plans. He was for example an advisor for the Mekong delta plan and the Bangladesh Delta Plan. In addition, Fulco Ludwig contributes to a range of capacity development programmes in Asia and Africa. Fulco Ludwig currently supervises 19 PhD students and 3 post-docs. His key teaching activities focusses on climate change adaptation for the Master programmes Climate Studies, Environmental Sciences and Integrated Land and Water Management