Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans
Biography
Prof. dr Rik Leemans currently heads the Environmental Systems Analysis group of Wageningen University. He implements research projects worldwide and actively involves young scientists from developing countries in his projects.
During the nineties (1992-2003) he was a senior scientist of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven. Here, he directed the development of integrated modelling approaches for the biosphere within the IMAGE 2 model, contributed to the different international science assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UNEPs Global Environmental Outlook and co-chaired the Responses Working Group of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). From 2006 through 2012, he successfully chaired the Earth System Science Partnership of ICSUs international global change programmes and on their behalf presented an annual scientific update to plenary of the UNFCCC. Since 2011, he actively helped to shape the international sustainability program Future Earth.