dr.ir. HP (Henk) Ritzema

Henk Ritzema is a former Associate Professor at the Water Resources Management Chair Group of Wageningen University. He retired in September 2020. He obtained his MSc. in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology in 1980. In 2009, he obtained his PhD “Drain for gain: making water management worth its salts” from Wageningen University and UNESCO-IHE Delft. He has thirtyseven years of experience in water management and hydrology for food and ecosystems. The first ten years he worked abroad: in Fiji (1980-1981), Kenya (1982-1983) and Egypt (1984-1988). In 1989, he joined Alterra-ILRI, Wageningen University and Research Centre at Senior Researcher involved in research, training and consultancy. In 2008, he jointed the Water Resources Management Group of Wageningen University. He is Editor-in-Chief of ILRI’s Publication 16 “Drainage Principles and Applications” and co-author of ILRI Publication 60 “Subsurface Drainage Practices”. He was programme leader in capacity building projects, including curriculum development, in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa and Yemen. He was the co-ordinator of Alterra-ILRI’s regular training programmes and various regular and tailor-made courses held in the Netherlands (UNESCO-IHE) and abroad (e.g. in China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Tunisia and Yemen). He was research leader of programmes on the improvement of waterlogged and salt-affected lands in India, and coastal lowlands in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Consultancy activities on water management for food and ecosystems include missions to China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, The Gambia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Surinam, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Henk Ritzema has published over 160 articles, books and reports and is a regular invited speaker at international conferences and workshops.