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Hester Biemans receives ERC Grant for research on food security around the Third Pole
Hester Biemans, researcher specialising in Water and Food Security at Wageningen University & Research, has been honoured with a 2 million euro European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant for her research into water and food security in Asia.
The high mountains of Asia are also called the Third Pole, referring to the enormous amounts of ice and snow they store. The meltwater from those mountains feeds 12 major rivers that course through 16 countries. Their downstream areas, home to almost 2 billion people and significant irrigation systems, are one of the worlds’ major food-producing regions.
Hester Biemans' project, "3POLE2SEA", focusses on these food-producing areas. It will address the existing gap in understanding the effects of the rapid melting of ice and snow in the Third Pole on people and food production downstream.
Tracing water from glaciers downstream
“There has been quite some attention to the accelerated melting of the Third Pole recently, and the impacts of climate change in the mountains. But there is surprisingly limited understanding on the huge impact this will have on food production downstream. Where, when and how much will food production in the plains be impacted by these changes in glacier and snowmelt? And what adaptation options are possible? This is a major research gap”, according to Biemans.
The research will trace water from the glaciers down to the irrigated field, exploring how 12 distinct basins vary in their reliance on mountain water and other water sources. Biemans will develop a new methodology to analyse how climate change and changing melt patterns will affect the connection between upstream and downstream regions. The ultimate goal is to use this knowledge for the design of adaptation strategies that avoid crop failures due to water shortage or increased flooding.
The ERC Consolidator Grant recognises Hester Biemans' integrated and multidisciplinary approach that is required to advance our understanding of the complex relationship between the changes in the Third Pole, water availability, and food production in downstream regions.
About the European Research Council (ERC)
Established by the European Union in 2007, the ERC is a premier European funding organisation for outstanding frontier research. It supports creative researchers of any nationality and age, fostering projects that span diverse disciplines across Europe. Biemans secured one of the 308 grants allocated for this year. This funding, a vital part of the EU's Horizon Europe programme, supports researchers in consolidating their independent research teams.