Michel Riksen

Dr. Michel Riksen is an Assistant Professor in the Soil Physics and Land Management group at Wageningen University & Research. He holds a PhD from Wageningen University (2006) and has expertise in wind erosion, coastal dune dynamics, and sustainable land management. His research spans social-economic aspects of erosion, conservation policies, and geomorphology in landscape ecology. He coordinates education for the SLM group, teaching courses like Sustainable Soil Management and Land & Water Engineering. His work integrates field studies with modeling to address coastal resilience, dune development, and agricultural water management. Projects include analyzing dune establishment drivers, land subsidence in Iran, and rainwater harvesting in arid regions. Michel’s contributions bridge academic research and practical applications in environmental governance and land use planning.

Education:

• BSc in Tropical Agriculture (1990) – Larenstein Deventer
• MSc in Tropical Land Management (1994) – Wageningen University
• PhD in Wind/Water Erosion and Landscape Development (2006) – Wageningen University

Research Interests:

• Wind erosion mechanisms and mitigation strategies
• Coastal dune formation and management
• Sustainable land management practices
• Climate change impacts on ecosystems
• Water resource optimization in agriculture

Teaching & Education:

• Coordinator of Soil Physics and Land Management education programs
• Courses: Sustainable Soil Management, Land & Water Engineering, MSc Research Practices

Projects & Labs:

• Leading studies on dune development and embryo dune dynamics
• Collaborations on rainwater harvesting in arid regions
• GIS-based modeling for land subsidence and sediment transport