Biology PhD (Groningen and Cambridge Universities). Professor Resource Ecology at Wageningen University (1991 to date). Honorary professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa) (2013 to date), Foundation Fellow of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia), twice visiting professor: at CSIRO in Australia and Pietermaritzburg (South Africa). Fulbright Scholar and visiting professor at Princeton University (USA) (2012-2013). Specialised in Ecology of savannas and alpine ecology. Participated in dozens of nature conservation projects in Africa, Europe, Australia and Asia. Supervised more than 80 PhD students. A.o. Officer in the Order of the Golden Ark en recipient of the Aldo Leopold Award.
Hydrogeology PhD (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Professor of Water Quality Management at Utrecht University (2011 to date) and expert researcher at TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands (1991 to date). Specialised in environmental hydrology and geochemistry within the framework of sustainable management of soil and water resources. He performed studies for a wide variety of geographical settings and a broad range of environmental management issues, ranging from an acid crater lake in Indonesia to disposal of radioactive waste in the deep subsurface of the Netherlands. Many of his projects refer to the risks and impact of anthropogenic measures on groundwater and subsequent effects on drinking water and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Preferably, he combines field campaigns with modelling studies. He contributed chapters to several text books among which “UNESCO Groundwater Studies” and “Sustainable Groundwater Resources in Africa” in addition to his peer-reviewed publications. As member of the former ministerial Dutch Technical Committee on Soil, he was involved in c. 100 ministerial advices during October 2007 – March 2016; he has been an expert in several cases for Dutch Courts of Justice, too.
Associate professor at Leiden University since 1990; guest professor at Antwerp University since 2009. Member of the African Lion Working Group, member of the IUCN Cat specialist group, the Sirenia specialist group and the Canine specialist group and of the Steering Committee of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Former Chair of the Netherlands Committee for IUCN (1990-2000), Co-Chair 2000-2003, Regional Councillor for West Europe (2008-2012). Member of the Netherlands CITES Commission, Chair of the Van Tienhoven Foundation and member of an Advisory Group to the Dutch Ministry. Active in the development of an action plan for lions in W and C Africa and involved in the harmonization of regional Red Lists. Initiated several National Conservation Strategies for threatened species and Red Listing in Europe.