News

SENSE e-News July-August 2026

📬 The SENSE summer e-News, July/August edition is out!

We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding some time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the holiday season. We are also looking ahead to an exciting autumn and academic year ahead, with new courses, events, and opportunities across the network.

We are delighted to announce that this year’s SENSE Annual Symposium will take place on 25 November 2026 at the VU Amsterdam, under the theme Reimagining Sustainability: Connecting Systems, Challenges and Future Pathways. This community-oriented and forward-looking event will bring together PhD researchers to explore connections, synergies, and trade-offs across sustainability challenges, sectors, disciplines, and scales. Save the date! More information about the programme and registration will follow soon.

The Symposium will also serve as a stepping stone towards the 2027 Groningen Sustainability Conference (5-10 April 2027), where SENSE will be a sponsor and organise the PhD and Early Career Days. We look forward to bringing our community together once again for this exciting event and creating further opportunities for exchange and collaboration across and beyond the SENSE network.

We are also excited to announce new developments in the SENSE course programme. The new Interdisciplinary Water Course, developed jointly by IHE Delft, TU Delft, and WIMEK, will launch this year and will be offered annually for the next three editions. In addition, the course Environmental Economics / Climate Economics, a collaboration between WUR and VU, will resume in early 2027. In the meantime, we encourage you to explore the programme and register in time for the upcoming autumn and winter courses.

We hope this edition inspires you to stay connected, engaged, and active within the SENSE community.

Warm regards,
The SENSE Secretariat

Caterina Marinetti, SENSE Executive Secretary
Dr. Jampel Dell’Angelo, SENSE General Director

Botín Foundation Awards for Sustainable Water Management XII Edition

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

AWARD CATEGORIES:
A. “M.R. Llamas” Award to projects and initiatives that contribute to sustainable water management in any context or place
B. Projects and initiatives that highlight the value of water in urban environments and strengthen the link between citizens and water
C. Inspired by the theme of World Water Day 2026, which focuses on the relationship between women, water, and gender equality

The prize for each Category is a cash payment of 1,500 €

New Research Agenda for Climate Adaptation in Amsterdam

ASI's Climate Expertise Centre co-developed the Knowledge Agenda on Climate Adaptation together with the City of Amsterdam, Waterschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht, UvA, HvA, AMS Institute and VU Amsterdam. The agenda provides a shared agenda for tackling climate challenges such as heat, drought, flooding and sea-level rise, strengthening collaboration between science, policy and practice. IVM’s Toon Haer, Hans de Moel and Elco Koks were part of the core development team. You find the agenda here.

StopHunger Grant Award awarded to support the research and thesis of MSc student Milka Akinyi

The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation is a registered charity that has been operating in the UK and Ireland since 2005 to help fight food insecurity and its root causes. The foundation offered a grant to IHE Delft as the result of our longstanding partnership between IHE Delft and Sodexo. The grant is offered to MSc student Milka Akinyi to support her research and thesis: Community Water Care and Governance Practices in the Kimana Wetlands System.

IHE Delft becomes the official host of Cap-Net

As of 1 May, IHE Delft has officially become the host of Cap-Net, the International Capacity Development Network for Sustainable Water Management. Established in 2002 following the first Capacity Development Symposium held at IHE Delft, Cap-Net brings more than two decades of experience in strengthening capacity for sustainable water management. As a global network, it mobilizes local, regional, and international expertise to address critical gaps in water-related education and professional development.

El-Niño will lead to severe drought globally, impacting local communities

17 June is Desertification and Drought Day. Announced by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), this day is an urgent reminder of the need to reduce land degradation and strengthen resilience to drought. 2026 already had a dry and very warm start in the Netherlands and across large parts of Europe, and though milder temperatures and rain in early June brought welcome relief, the hot and dry weather is expected to return.

Inaugural Conference on Groundwater raises visibility of an invisible resource

Groundwater accounts for 99 percent of liquid freshwater on the planet, but, hidden from sight, it is often regarded as an invisible resource. On 11 June, IHE Delft welcomed 180 participants to the first Dutch National Groundwater Congress hosted at IHE Delft, helping to increase the visibility of this precious resource.

ITS and IHE Delft launch Fast-Track 4+1 Double Degree Programme in Water Studies

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Surabaya, Indonesia, and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education have jointly developed a 4+1 double degree programme designed to strengthen international collaboration in water education.

Alumnus interview: Building a legacy of capacity development in the Dominican Republic

As part of a week-long visit (1-5 June) to the Netherlands and Belgium, a delegation from the Dominican Republic, with the participation of alumnus José Raúl Pérez Durán, exchanged knowledge and discussed opportunities for cooperation. Pérez Durán studied at IHE Delft in 1990/1991. Today, he is Director of Water Resources Planning and Development at the Dominican Republic’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI). In an interview, he explains why he is passionate about building capacity development in the water sector.

Waterpans gain national recognition as project works to improve water quality and community health in rural Tanzania

For generations, communities across rural Tanzania have relied on traditional waterpans to cope with water shortages during dry seasons. In some areas, these small rainwater harvesting reservoirs, also known as Charco dams, are the only available source of water for irrigation, livestock, wildlife and domestic use. Despite their importance, waterpans had never been formally recognized in Tanzania’s national water policy, making it difficult to manage and maintain them in ways that protect water quality, reduce disease risks and prevent conflict between users.

Changes in the Rectorate of IHE Delft

The Governing Board of IHE Delft has appointed Graham Jewitt as Interim Rector of IHE Delft and Chair of the Managing Board. Jewitt joined the Institute as Professor of Hydrology in 2019. Until recently, he was Vice Rector and Academic Director.

Ioana Popescu has been appointed Interim Vice Rector. Popescu joined IHE Delft in 2001. She is Professor of Hydroinformatics and up till now has been Head of the Hydroinformatics and Socio-Technical Innovation Department.

Han de Groot joins the Rectorate as Interim Operations Director. De Groot brings broad expertise in the ecological sector, organizational development and international cooperation. Han de Groot is a former interim CEO of Wetlands International and former CEO of Rainforest Alliance. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and worked at Oxfam Novib on social justice and poverty alleviation.

The interim Rectorate is both rooted in the Institute and brings new external perspectives. It combines academic and educational experience, with operational savvy and a solid management track record.

Recruitment of a permanent new rector will start this month.

SENSE e-News May-June 2026

The May-June newsletter edition is out!

Summer is just around the corner, bringing new opportunities for learning, exchange, and collaboration across the SENSE network. In this edition, we are pleased to share upcoming activities, new initiatives for our PhD community, and recent developments within SENSE.

As summer schools are approaching, we warmly encourage you to explore the programmes offered across the network. Several application deadlines have been extended, offering additional opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary courses and connect with fellow researchers.

We are also excited to launch a new interview series: Meet the Researcher!, an initiative of the SENSE PhD Council. The series highlights the work, experiences, and perspectives of PhD candidates across the network, offering a closer look at the diverse research and people that shape the SENSE community.

At the same time, preparations are underway for the annual SENSE Symposium, which will take place this autumn. This year’s Symposium will contribute to ongoing discussions on sustainability challenges and future pathways beyond 2030, while also serving as a stepping stone towards the larger SDG conference hosted by RUG in 2027. More information will follow soon.

We hope this edition inspires you to stay connected, engaged, and active within the SENSE community.

Warm regards,
The SENSE Secretariat