Dr.ir. M.W. (Maurits) Ertsen

Dr.ir. M.W. (Maurits) Ertsen

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Room: 23.HG 4.81

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Expertise

Sustainable water management, closely associated with success and collapse of human civilizations, has become crucial given current climate variability.  In all my work, I focus on the question how short-term interactions between humans and non-humans – especially water and associated agents – create the longer-term patterns and processes that we (think we) observe or desire. Rather than working on one time period and/or region, my research is based on how this central theme unfolds in different settings. I study states and water in colonial history and archaeology, I work on emerging societal relations and power relations in environmental history and archaeology, and I work on the relation between humans, technologies and environment in current settings. My studies bring me to places like Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, the Ancient Near East and The Netherlands - even when I aim to minimize my travelling outside Europe. All my activities are developed in close cooperation with colleagues from universities, NGO’s, and the private sector.

​​​​​​​Biography

Associate Professor Water and Society

Ph.D. 2005    Delft University of Technology. Technical Sciences (irrigation and history of technology). Thesis:  Prescribing perfection. Emergence of an engineering irrigation design approach in the Netherlands East Indies and its legacy, 1830 – 1990. Prof.ir. Brouwer and Prof.dr.ir. Lintsen. 

M.Sc. 1993    Wageningen University.  Irrigation Engineering.  Majors: irrigation, history, philosophy. Minor: hydraulic engineering
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​​​​​​​Projects

The Brantas Water Quality Project is a public-private partnership that supports inclusive growth, health, and equity by mainstreaming water quality in Brantas River basin management. It is financed by the Sustainable Water Fund as a collaboration working to strengthen water quality governance, inspire community action for river health, promote adoption of innovative technologies, and improve the availability of water quality data for planning and pollution control. The partnership aims for strengthened participative processes and coordination in existing Brantas water quality policy, planning, and implementation. The project is coordinated by the Water Resources Group.

The Save the tiger! Save the grasslands! Save the water! project focuses on the complex interactions between water, animals (tigers!), vegetation and humans at the foot of the Himalayas. Within the larger project, coordinated by Utrecht University, Water Resources develops a shared approach to achieve integrated water resources management in the region. In a process of intensive co-designed activities, project partners and stakeholders are invited to discuss current and future issues and options. Discussions are supported through an agent-based modelling approach, which allows exploring relationships between non-human actors, like tigers, deer, grass and water, and human actors.

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Expertise

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Prizes

  • 2023

    Delft Education Fellowship

    The Delft Education Fellowship recognises and appreciates the efforts of lecturers for educational innovation and boosts the impact on educational reform and development. Lecturers, Assistant professors, Associate professors and Full professors can become Education Fellow when they have made a visible, substantial and valuable contribution to the education of TU Delft

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Ancillary activities

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Room: 23.HG 4.81