Earth Systems and Global Change

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Chair Group
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Humans have profound influence on Earth's systems: land, water, climate, and nature. This interaction, termed Global Change, drives environmental and societal shifts worldwide, impacting all life on our planet. Our chair group is led by Mathilde Witteveen.

Research themes

The Earth Systems and Global Change research aims at a better understanding of the impacts of global change on earth systems to contribute to sustainable futures. The group is divided in seven different subgroups, each focusses on a specific topic related to (Sustainable) Earth Systems and Global Change:

  • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
  • Climate Services and Adaptation
  • Empower Sustainable Futures
  • Land based Mitigation and Adaptation
  • Food Systems and the Environment
  • Water, Climate, Food
  • Water Quality
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Education

Education

Education by Earth Systems and Global Change

The Earth Systems and Global Change Group offers a diverse educational programme in the fields of ‘Environmental Systems Analysis’ and ‘Water Systems and Global Change’. Besides the BSc and MSc courses, it is also possible to do your thesis or internship under supervision of a staff member of our group.

Contributions
Researchers of the Earth Systems and Global Change Group publish on a regular basis in scientific journals, professional journals, scientific and popular books, and proceedings.

Publications & Projects

Publications & Projects

The Earth Systems and Global Change Group is a solution-oriented multidisciplinary research group focusing on sustainability and global change. Through our work, we contribute to a better understanding of the challenges posed by Global Change but also to pioneer actionable solutions, empowering communities and policymakers to create a resilient and sustainable future for all. We regularly publish the outcome of our research in scientific journals, professional journals, scientific and popular books, and proceedings.

Chair holders

prof.dr.ir. N (Nynke) Hofstra

Professor

prof.dr.ir. N (Nynke) Hofstra

Professor

prof.dr.ir. HHE (Hannah) van Zanten

Professor

prof.dr.ir. HHE (Hannah) van Zanten

Professor

People of Earth Systems and Global Change

Each chair group of Wageningen University & Research, under leadership of a professor, has its own area of expertise. Meet the people of this Chair Group.

Go to our People overview

News (10)

News

Global food systems are exceeding planetary boundaries

An international team of more than 60 researchers, including scientists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), warns that global food systems continue to exceed key planetary boundaries and that a sustainable and just transformation is urgently needed. The new EAT-Lancet Commission report Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food Systems offers a science-based pathway towards healthy diets, social justice, and a liveable planet.

News

How Hannah van Zanten and Nynke Hofstra are to jointly manage a group of 150 employees

Van Zanten and Hofstra are to jointly lead the Earth Systems & Global Change chair group. The group focuses on nitrogen, water, climate and biodiversity.

Brainstorm session for weather app
News

WUR combines science with local knowledge to develop weather app for African agriculture

Like many people in the Netherlands, Wageningen researcher Spyros Paparrizos checks a whether app every morning to see if he should bring a coat, sunglasses or an umbrella. He is now introducing the weather service DROP app in Kenya, Ghana and Zimbabwe, in consultation with local farmers, agricultural extension officers and meteorological organisations. The DROP app is one of the weather and climate services of the SAFE4ALL project. Spyros Paparrizos is a researcher at the Water Systems and Global Change group in Wageningen.

Sustainable food systems
Photo of a wooden pole with a N.A.P. measuring sign and a canal in the background
News

Imminent drought in The Netherlands: groundwater levels plummet due to dry spring

After a winter that was slightly drier than usual, the extremely dry spring is putting the Dutch water system under pressure. Groundwater levels have dropped significantly below the normal level for this time of year in many areas. The supply from the major rivers is also very low. Even if rain falls, it will take days to weeks before it penetrates deep enough into the soil. Long-term rainfall is needed for groundwater recovery.

Land fertilization
News

Wageningen research collective elaborates target-based approach for environmental emissions

The new Dutch government aims to put farmers’ craftsmanship back at the centre of achieving legal targets for ammonia emission, greenhouse gases, and groundwater quality.

General public
News

Antarctica: balancing conservation and tourism in a fragile frontier

Antarctica is one of the planet’s last truly pristine regions. Beyond the focus of scientists, the continent has largely remained untouched, serving as a peaceful haven for countless species. However, tourism to the area has surged tenfold since the 1990s. Researchers Machiel Lamers, Daniela Cajiao, and Anisja Obermann study the impact of tourism and scientific activities on the fragile ecosystem, aiming to develop science-based solutions. During the Christmas Holidays, Cajiao and Obermann will conduct fieldwork in Antarctica to develop alternatives for managing the increasing flows of tourists and the associated impacts. How does their research inform policy solutions?

Polar regions
News

The future of algal blooms in lakes globally is in our hands

What does the future hold for our lakes globally — clear waters or widespread algal blooms? A new study is the first to model and project algal blooms on a global scale under different socio-economic and climate scenarios . Conducted by Wageningen University & Research and NIOO-KNAW, the research offers new insights into how ecosystems may be affected and the role we play in shaping that future.

News

Urgent need for ammonia reduction: impact of emissions controls on atmospheric nitrogen inputs to Chinese river basins

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition is a critical environmental issue in many world regions. A group of researchers, including from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), have found that nitrogen deposition and its inputs to Chinese rivers have increased over the last decade due to insufficient nitrogen management in agriculture. The study is published in Science Advances.

News

The relationship between meltwater and food security

During the Opening of the Academic Year at Wageningen University & Research on 2 September, research associate Hester Biemans explains how water and food are interrelated in a large area: the Himalayas. “When snow and ice start melting earlier, you won't have water for crops later in the year.”

Boat sailing through a river that is green due to pollution, seen from a bird's-eye view
News

Too much ‘seasoning’ in our rivers: More water scarcity due to future pollution

Many people across the world face water scarcity. Not only because of changing availability of water, but also because of pollution. An international research team carried out a global assessment of future clean-water scarcity for the 2050s. The findings reveal that the water supply in one-third of the world's rivers is becoming unsafe because of increasing pollution by nitrogen. This can be compared to not having a large enough bowl of soup to serve everybody anymore, plus every third spoonful of soup being spoilt.

Calendar

Calendar
Application of trait-based plant-soil feedback for agroecosystem optimization
Fri 23 January 2026 15:30
Omnia - Building 105

Application of trait-based plant-soil feedback for agroecosystem optimization

PhD defence Zhaoqi Bin

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