Joost Buurman

Dr. Joost Buurman is an economist specializing in climate adaptation, water policy, and urban resilience. He currently serves as Project Director – Resilience Economics at Royal HaskoningDHV, while maintaining academic ties as a former Deputy Director of the Institute of Water Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (National University of Singapore) and Senior Research Fellow at NUSDeltares. His expertise spans water resource management, climate finance, and blue economy strategies.

Dr. Buurman holds a PhD and Master’s in spatial economics and Geographic Information Systems from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research emphasizes decision-making frameworks for climate resilience, particularly in densely populated urban areas. Notable contributions include studies on water tariffs, drought governance in Vietnam, and flood risk mitigation in India.

His academic publications (over 30) focus on urban water security, adaptive governance, and infrastructure resilience. Key themes include the interplay between policy design and socioeconomic equity, as seen in analyses of water affordability in cities and hydropower development controversies in Southeast Asia.

• Education: PhD/Master’s in Spatial Economics & GIS, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Affiliations: Royal HaskoningDHV, Lee Kuan Yew School, Singapore-Delft Water Alliance

Dr. Buurman’s work bridges technical analysis and policy implementation, addressing challenges like urban water scarcity, climate-induced disasters, and sustainable infrastructure. His interdisciplinary approach integrates geographic data with economic modeling to inform real-world decisions.