Martine van der Ploeg

Martine van der Ploeg is a Full Professor in Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics at Wageningen University & Research. Her research focuses on hydrological processes, plastic pollution dynamics, soil health, and environmental sustainability. She leads projects addressing global challenges like riverine plastic transport, soil erosion, and climate impacts on water systems. She has supervised multiple PhD candidates and contributed to datasets on plastic pollution and hydrological modeling. Her work bridges environmental science, engineering, and policy, with notable contributions to understanding plastic hotspots, flood impacts, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Key areas of expertise include plastic pollution in rivers, soil-water interactions, and climate-driven hydrological changes. She collaborates internationally on projects such as FARMWISE (EU) and HydroTrans, advancing global water management strategies. Media contributions highlight her role as an expert on water-related issues like drought impacts and urban water systems.

• Research Focus: Plastic pollution, soil erosion, hydrological modeling, climate change, water resources.
• Key Projects: FARMWISE, HydroTrans, Odaw River pollution studies, and Dutch National Hydrological Model updates.
• Education & Training: Expertise in hydrology and environmental engineering, with extensive field and laboratory experience.

Her interdisciplinary approach integrates field data, remote sensing, and numerical modeling to address complex environmental challenges.