Water Management for Climate Adaptation

The Water Management for Climate Adaptation program at Utrecht University gives you an in-depth understanding of modern water management, and also an insight into the decision making structures on the local and global levels through which water management measures are implemented. The program culminates in a living lab, where students are able to perform action based research in the field.

The Water Management for Climate Adaptation program at Utrecht University equips you with the tools to contribute to a climate proof society through interdisciplinary action based research.

Key facts

• Ensuring the quality, availability and safety of water, implementing measures to adapt to the changing climate and managing the surplus or shortage or water supplyincreasingly complicates the tasks of water managers. This has given rise to a need for water management professionals with a sound foundation in modern water management techniques, and also an understanding of the decision making landscape and legal frameworks on a local, regional and global level.
• A natural sciences background, the ability to work well as part of a team, and a passion for water management and climate studies will help you succeed in this program. The Water Science and Management program is an excellent choice for you if you are interested in both the scientific analysis of the water system, and the application of water science in integrated and complex societal problems that occur in contemporary water management.
• Careers
• The Water Management for Climate Adaptation Master’s program trains you to function as a professional in the field ofwater management and related sustainable development.
• The professional field consists of a wide variety of organisations:

• Consultancy firms
• Water boards;
• Governmental organisations
• Utility companies
• Water research institutes
• NGOs
• International development organisations
• Graduates may follow up their Master’s degree by pursuing a PhD in the Netherlands or abroad and ultimately pursuing a career in research. The program is closely related to several research groups on water-related issues in the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and the Department of Physical Geography.
• This makes it possible for students to be ahead of the latest scientific developments in the field. Thanks to close connections with key players in the field, research projects on various topics are funded by external parties.

Accredited by the NVAO - Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.

Courses include:

• Sustainable Water Resources Management
• Principles of Groundwater Flow

• Integrated Assessment of Climate Change

• Quantitative Water Management

• Coastal Zone and River Management

• Land Surface Process Modelling

• Water Quality Management

• Living Lab: Fieldwork and Research Design

• Governance of Climate Adapatation

• Thesis