Lecturers
Okke
Batelaan
Free
University Brussels
Hydrogeologist
Okke Batelaan is a hydrogeologist, graduated from the
Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He works
since 1989, at the Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering
Department (HYDR) as a researcher, lecturer and
coordinator of the IUPWARE MSc programme in water
resources engineering at the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Belgium.
His speciality is the development and integration of different hydrological modelling and new technology measurement techniques in advancing ecohydrology as a science.
He developed an extension for the MODFLOW groundwater model for seepage estimation, the distributed WetSpa (co-developer) and WetSpass models for respectively GIS based rainfall-runoff and recharge modelling. The use of hyperspectral remote sensing techniques in the determination of wetness gradients in valleys is one of current exciting research topics he is working on. For the HYDR department he coordinates many research projects in Belgium and abroad. He is reviewer for Journal of Hydrology, Groundwater and Hydrogeology Journal and member of the board of the Belgian National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.
Jarosław
Chormański
Warsaw
Agricultural University
Hydrologist, GIS specialist
He graduated in 1994 at the Faculty of Geography and
Regional Studies of the Warsaw University. In 2003, he
defended at the Warsaw Agricultural University his
Ph.D. thesis about methodology of flood extent
determination in Biebrza wetland.
He specialises in hydrological modelling, GIS and Remote Sensing application in wetland hydrology. Currently employed at the Department of Water Engineering and Environmental Re-cultivation of the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Reclamation. He is actively involved in Biebrza Wetlands research as a participant of several Polish and international projects aiming on recognition of hydrological processes in wetlands (projects founded by Polish Science Foundation, PIN-Matra, Flemish Government and EU).
Marek
Giełczewski
Warsaw
Agricultural University
Hydrologist, integrated catchment management
specialist
He graduated in 1994 at the Faculty of Geography and
Regional Studies of the Warsaw University. In 2003, he
defended at the Utrecht University (the Netherlands)
his Ph.D. thesis about development and integration of
environmental models to support and direct the
development planning of the Narew River Basin towards
sustainability.
He specialises in assessment of nutrient export from different sources to surface waters and in integrated management on the river basin scale. Currently employed at the Department of Water Engineering and Environmental Re-cultivation of the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Reclamation, Warsaw Agricultural University. He is actively involved in research on integrated management of some Polish river catchments as a participant of several Polish and international projects aiming on identification and assessment of key-impacts influencing quality of the environment (projects founded by Polish Science Foundation, PIN-Matra and EU).
Wiktor
Kotowski
Institute
for Land Reclamation and Grassland Farming
Plant ecologist, wetland
conservationist
He graduated in 1996 at the Faculty of Biology of the
Warsaw University. In 2002, he defended at the
University of Gronigen (the Netherlands) his Ph.D.
thesis about ecological processes and conservation
strategies in peatlands.
He specialises in ecological processes structuring wetland vegetation patterns and their practical implications in nature management and ecological restoration. Currently employed at the Department of Nature Protection in Rural Areas of the Institute for Land Reclamation and Grassland Farming in Falenty. Co-author of the Polish Agri-environmental Programme and consultant of the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development for management of seminatural meadows. Board Member of the European Chapter of Society for Ecological Restoration International and President of the Save Wetlands Association.
Patrick
Meire
Antwerp
University
Biologist
Biologist at the University of Ghent. He started his
PhD work at the Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Nature
Conservation and Biogeography of the University of Gent
first with a research grant from the Belgium National
Fund for Scientific Research, later as a research
assistant. In 1990 he became senior researcher at the
Institute of Nature Conservation, a research Institute
of the Flemish Government. Since 1995 he holds the
chair of Integrated Water Management at the Institute
of Environmental Studies of the University of Antwerp
(part time visiting professor) and since 1999 he is
full time professor at the University of Antwerp,
Department of Biology and head of the ecosystem
research group.
His research career is focused on the study of environmental impact on aquatic systems. It started with the study of the impact of the construction of a storm surge barrier in the Oosterschelde on waterbirds and macrozoobenthos. This work was extended to study the problems of safety against inundations and effects of dredging in and along the Schelde estuary. The research in the Schelde estuary got focused on the development of a management strategy in which the realization of a nature development plan became a central issue. To underpin this plan a large research project was set up aiming at the construction of an ecosystem model of the estuary. This model is needed to understand the effect of different management options (managed retreat, marsh restoration etc.) on the ecosystem functioning. What is their role in nutrient retention, water storage etc.
The main objective of the research group is to provide a sound scientific basis for nature and ecosystem management in general and integrated water management in particular. Therefore, the research focuses on the ecology of stagnant and running inland waters and estuaries and their associated wetlands. The processes in the land-water interaction along the whole river continuum from source to sea are studied at different scales: from individual organisms, over populations and communities, towards ecosystems and landscapes. These studies, which involve both descriptive and experimental field work, are integrated to make predictions on the impact of different management options on the functioning and biodiversity of the system.
Tomasz
Okruszko
Warsaw
Agricultural University
Hydrologist, Head of the WSIC 2007
Event
Head of Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Resources,
Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental
Restoration at Warsaw Agricultural University He
obtained his Msc at Warsaw University of Technology in
Water Resource Management and did his Ph.D. in Water
Resources and Environmental Systems at the same
University.
He is actively involved in Biebrza Wetlands research since late eighties as a participant or leader of several Polish and international projects aiming on recognition of hydrological processes in wetlands (projects founded by Polish Science Foundation, PINMatra, WWF, Flemish Government and EU). He was leading the water management group working on Biebrza National Park Management Plan. For last three years he is in the presidium of Scientific Board of Biebrza National Park. He is author or co-author of several scientific papers on water management in Biebrza Wetlands.
Hubert
Piórkowski
Institute
for Land Reclamation and Grassland Farming
Landscape ecologist
Academic interested in landscape ecology and GIS. He
graduated in 1995 at the Faculty of Geography and
Regional Studies of the Warsaw University. In 2003, he
defended at the Institute for Grassland Farming and
Land Reclamation Ph.D. thesis on spatial, landscape and
anthropogenic causes of shrub encroachment onto former
managed wetlands. Currently - employed as research
scientists in the Department of Nature Protection in
Rural Areas at the Institute for Grassland Farming and
Land Reclamation.
Since 1997 involved in numerous projects on local, regional, national and international levels focused on optimizing management on wetlands, wetlands restoration and wetlands research.
Jan
Szatyłowicz
Warsaw
Agricultural University
Soil physicist and hydrologist
He graduated in 1988 the Faculty of Land and Water
Reclamation of Warsaw Agricultural University. In 1998,
he defended Ph.D. thesis about water movement in
swelling-shrinkage alluvial clay soils. Currently
employed at the Department of Environmental Improvement
of Warsaw Agricultural University. His research
interests relate to the measurement and modelling of
water flow in the unsaturated zone, particularly in
peat-moorsh soils. He is author and co-author more than
20 publications related to physical properties and
water management of peat-moorsh soils. At the
University he is teaching subjects related to soil
physics and soil water management. He is Chairman of
Commission IV "Physical and chemical characteristics of
peat" - Polish Committee of International Peat Society.
Martin
Wassen
Utrecht
University
Hydro-, landscape and plant
ecologist
Full professor in landscape ecology in the Department
of Innovation and Environmental Sciences at Utrecht
University. He studied biology at the Universities of
Nijmegen (bachelors) and Groningen (masters) and
defended in 1990 at Utrecht University his Ph.D. thesis
about water flow as a major landscape ecological factor
in fen development. In April 2003 he became full
professor in landscape ecology. The chair was
established by the Dutch Society for Landscape Ecology
(WLO).
His research centres on the following components of the environmental cause-effect chain: changes in land use -> changes in water flow -> changes in ecosystems. His expertise is on the interdisciplinary edges of plant ecology, landscape ecology, vegetation science and hydrology. In his view landscape ecology is the umbrella under which a fruitful integration of disciplines is brought about; each with its own research questions but mutually starting from a joint problem definition and at the end coming together again in trying to understand the role of man in landscape processes. Such co-operation in multi-disciplinary teams gives an enormous added value. His research develops and uses models and also generates indicators for environmental quality determined in undisturbed reference ecosystems as well as nature targets for restoration projects. He is fascinated by wetlands in particular mires, rivers and river marginal wetlands. This fascination caused his active and long time involvement in research in the Biebrza Wetlands. Since mid-eighties he was a leader or participant of several international projects aiming on recognition of the important components of the environmental cause-effect chain and the relation between them (projects founded by PINMatra, WWF and EU). In most of his contract research hydrological and ecological models were developed for the purpose of sustainable land use planning and integrated water management. He is an advisor of the WWF-International on wetland management in Poland and a consultant of the Dutch Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment and a member of the Dutch expert team for 'Inland Water Biological Diversity'; Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). He is author or co-author as well as editor of several scientific papers and reports on environmental aspects of the Biebrza Wetlands.
