معرفی
Dr. Saskia van der Kooij serves as a Lecturer in Water Resources Management at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in irrigation systems and water governance. Her academic profile demonstrates deep engagement with global water challenges through interdisciplinary research bridging technical and social dimensions.
Her research interests focus on resolving the irrigation efficiency paradox, where increased efficiency often exacerbates water scarcity through hydrological rebound effects. She examines socio-ecological-technical approaches to phosphorus recycling, irrigation institutional dynamics in Morocco (particularly the Seguia Khrichfa basin), and water governance in commercial agriculture. Her work integrates hydrological modeling with political ecology frameworks to address water allocation conflicts and sustainable resource management.
Recent publications reveal strong thematic clustering around irrigation efficiency metrics (61 Scopus citations for her 2020 framework paper), hydrological drought modeling, and circular economy applications in agriculture. Her research consistently emphasizes scale mismatches in water governance and the unintended consequences of technical interventions in complex socio-hydrological systems.
As an academic supervisor, she co-promotes PhD research including S. Uyttendaele's work on farming system transformations in Madagascar. She actively contributes to major collaborative projects such as Sustainable Urban Infrastructures and DRiP (Drip Irrigation Realities in Perspective), where she examines how drip irrigation technologies reshape water institutions and user practices.
Her fieldwork spans Morocco, South Africa, and the Netherlands, with presentations at international forums analyzing irrigation institutions and phosphorus recycling systems. Current projects explore contract farming impacts and urban water infrastructure transformations through social practice theory lenses.
