Jantsje van Loon-Steensma

Researcher (2021-2022)

Jantsje van Loon is an Assistant Professor at Wageningen University and also holds the position of Professor (Lector) of Nature-Based River Management at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. She is a researcher and lecturer specializing in climate adaptation and nature-based flood protection. Her work focuses on sustainable approaches to flood defense that harness natural processes and integrate multiple land-use functions within flood-prone areas. She is particularly interested in the co-benefits and trade-offs of combining ecological and landscape values with flood protection, and the implications for long-term management.

Jantsje’s research examines the performance of restored and created ecosystems in reducing flood risk, their environmental impact, and their value for nature, recreation, and other services. She explores how natural processes can be supported or enhanced to improve future flood resilience, while maximizing co-benefits and minimizing socio-economic and ecological trade-offs.