If you want to prevent floods, you need more than just knowledge of climate, how water behaves, and how to build dikes. Socio-economic factors such as spatial planning and human behavior are at least as important—and perhaps even more so. For instance, how wise is it to allow population growth in vulnerable areas? And to what extent are people willing to evacuate when a flood warning is issued? These are the kinds of questions that lie at the heart of the work of Jeroen Aerts, who is a professor of Water and Climate Risk at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. With his multidisciplinary approach, he brings a refreshing enrichment to scientific knowledge about flood risks.
The new members – ten women and seven men – don't just excel in their research; they also attach great importance to playing a role in society as scientists. They will be officially installed on 29 September 2025.
Read about the other new members on the KNAW website.
