Pieter van der Zaag

Pieter van der Zaag is a Professor of Water Resources Management at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Delft University of Technology. His work focuses on transboundary water governance, agricultural water management, and institutional dynamics in water resources. He has held leadership roles including Head of the Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance (2012–2015) and Chair of the Netherlands National IHP Committee (2012–2018).

Education:

• Bachelor's in Irrigation Engineering from Wageningen Agricultural University (Netherlands)
• PhD in Water Resources Management (1992)

Research Interests:

His research emphasizes the interplay between biophysical processes and social institutions in water management. Key areas include equitable water allocation, transboundary river basin cooperation, and farmer-led irrigation innovations in arid regions. He has pioneered projects like A4Labs and A4Store, focusing on sustainable groundwater use in African drylands.

Grants & Projects:

• Water, Peace and Security Partnership (2018–2019)
• Blue Nile Hydrosolidarity (2008–2013)
• A4Labs (2016–2019)
• Capacity building initiatives in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mozambique

Awards:

• Recipient of the Falkenmark Award (2023) for mentored PhD work
• ESM Award for Interdisciplinary Research (2023)

Labs & Teams:

Leads the IHE Delft Water Governance Lab and collaborates with global partners like UNESCO, World Resources Institute, and Deltares. His work on sand rivers and adaptive investment pathways has shaped policy frameworks in Mozambique, Ethiopia, and India.