Announcing a new chair group in Drought Risk & Water Security — Anne van Loon

Posted on by drought-group

I’m happy to announce that today (1 August) I have been promoted to 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 and my research group changes to an official chair group. 🤩

The new chair in “Drought Risk & Water Security” within the Water & Climate Risk section at the IVM Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) will focus on drought risk and water security in the hydro-social system.

👩‍💻  𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: we
– Integrate natural and social sciences to understand and manage droughts as complex, systemic, and human-influenced phenomena. We study these processes from landscape & community to global scale.
– Build on the group’s expertise in socio-hydrology, drought impact & adaptation modelling, and risk analysis using tools like agent-based models, machine learning, and qualitative & narrative approaches.
– Focus on drought-flood interactions, dynamic vulnerability, and feedbacks between human adaptation and hydrological systems.
– Are strongly embedded in international networks (e.g. Drought in the Anthropocene Network (DitA), IAHS – International Association of Hydrological Sciences, EGU Hydrological Sciences).

🏙️ 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: we
– Co-create solutions with stakeholders through participatory methods, science-policy engagement, and art-science collaborations.
– Support evidence-based policy & resilience-building in drought-prone regions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
– Educate the next generation of water professionals through innovative, interdisciplinary teaching.

Thanks to the drought research group! ❤️

And thanks to all the amazing (inter)national colleagues who supported me throughout my career!

This one is for all the #WomenInScience who are struggling or doubting. You can do it too! I’m committed to making academia a more inclusive place with space to grow for everyone.