Wouter Botzen

Wouter Botzen is a Full Professor in Environmental Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute. He holds a dual appointment at Utrecht University's School of Economics. As director of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), he oversees over 150 staff and PhD students. His research focuses on climate change economics, natural disaster risk management, behavioral economics, and insurance mechanisms under climate risk. He has authored over 180 peer-reviewed articles in top journals like Nature, PNAS, and Science, and has received prestigious awards including the Lloyd’s Science of Risk Prize and ERC Consolidator Grant.

Education: PhD (cum laude) in Economics from VU Amsterdam (2010), MSc Economics from Maastricht University (2005). Visiting positions include the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and UC Santa Barbara. He coordinates climate change research at IVM and advises governments, NGOs, and international bodies like the IPCC and UNDRR. His funded projects include EU initiatives ENHANCE, NATURVATION, and CLIMAAX, alongside grants from NWO and the European Commission.

Research emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating economics, policy, and natural sciences. Key themes include flood risk valuation, insurance systems' impact on urban growth, and behavioral nudges for disaster preparedness. He leads teams on climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, and financial sector resilience to climate risks.

Awards include the Best Paper Awards in Risk Analysis (2012, 2013), Journal of Flood Risk Management (2016), and the Junior Societal Impact Award (2010). He contributes to high-impact policy reports and is listed among Reuters' most influential climate scientists.