Luuk Dorren

Luuk Dorren is a Professor of Natural Hazard and Risk Management at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (BFH-HAFL). He has served as Head of Research and Consultancy since 2023 and leads initiatives integrating biological, technical, and organizational solutions for natural hazard protection. Dorren is the founding President of the International Association for Natural Hazard Risk Management (ecorisQ), fostering global adoption of nature-based solutions.

• Education: PhD in Environmental Sciences (University of Amsterdam, 2002), Habilitation (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 2010)
• Professional Experience: Held roles at Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), CEMAGREF (France), and University of Amsterdam.

Research Interests focus on quantifying eco-engineering solutions for disaster risk reduction, including predictive modeling of rockfall and landslides, GIS analysis, and sustainable forest management in alpine regions. His work emphasizes cost-benefit analysis of green infrastructure versus traditional measures.

Projects include leadership in ALIEN (invasive species impact analysis), ROCKtheALPS (rockfall protection forests), FINT-CH (individual tree detection using remote sensing), and regional hazard mapping initiatives across the European Alps.

Professional Memberships span the Swiss Association for Road and Transport Professionals (VSS), IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), and Swiss natural hazard networks (FAN, GWG).

Language Skills: English, German, French, Dutch (native), and Italian.