About Ilja America - van den Heuvel

Ilja is a researcher in the field of freshwater resources management and focuses on groundwater – surface water interactions in coastal lowlands.

She is interested in studying climate change impacts on salinity and freshwater availability. Ilja worked on various projects including Delta Scenarios which map out the tasks for water availability, flooding and water safety in 2050 and 2100 on behalf of the Delta Commissioner's staff and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Currently, she is part-time working on her PhD-research within the DeltaWealth project. DeltaWealth contributes to solutions for a safe, ecologically healthy and economically prosperous SW-Delta in the next 50-100 years, by developing science-based knowledge on overarching adaptation strategies coined ‘I - protect-open’, ‘II - protect-closed’, ‘III - seaward-defence’, and their combination.

There are 7 work packages (WP) that focus on different aspects ranging from flood risk management, salinity and fresh water supply, ecology, regional economy and welfare, public support and knowledge utilisation. Ilja is involved in WP3: Salinisation and freshwater availability for agriculture, nature, industry and households in future delta plans. Her research will provide insight into freshwater availability, and thus delta life, in the SW Delta.

Ilja completed the BSc Soil Water Atmosphere and MSc Earth in Environment in April 2019, both at Wageningen University. During her MSc studies, she investigated evaporation and salt accumulation effects on freshwater lenses in collaboration with Flinders University and the University of Queensland (Australia). She is currently a PhD student at Utrecht University.