Prof Albert Van Dijk

Albert Van Dijk established and leads the Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics at the Fenner School of Environment and Society.

Professor Van Dijk received his undergraduate, Master's degree (1996) and PhD (2002) in Environmental Sciences from VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

He was with CSIRO Land and Water from 2003 to 2012, where he won awards for his leadership role in the Murray-Darling Sustainable Yields project, possibly the most ambitious water resources study ever undertaken, and subsequently, for leading development of the Australian Water Resources Assessment system, a model-data integration system now operational in the Bureau of Meteorology.

Professor Van Dijk has authored more than 130 publications. His research often addresses the interaction between vegetation and the hydrological cycle and related processes, such as soil erosion, nutrient cycling, salinity, the surface energy balance, the carbon cycle, fire risk, biodiversity, ecological resilience, and crop growth.

He has a passion for practical research applications, including the observation and forecasting of natural hazards, water resources, environmental condition and agricultural production. The theory and technology involved are drawn from environmental science and management, satellite remote sensing, IT, statistics and simulation modelling.

Professor Van Dijk was inaugural chair and is currently co-chair of the Australian Energy and Water Exchange Initiative (OzEWEX).