Personal profile
Personal information
Dr. Tim Busker is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Water and Climate Risk at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His expertise lies in flood and drought early-warning systems and impact-based forecasting.
In 2024, Tim completed his PhD with the thesis “Anticipating Weather and Climate Extremes: The Value of Early Action to Reduce Disaster Impacts.” His research focuses on developing methods to translate forecasts into actionable, impact-based warnings—supporting early action in regions such as East Africa and Europe. He is currently involved in the JCAR-ATRACE project, studying flood early-warning systems in the Netherlands and neighboring countries. He works on developing new impact-based flood forecasting models, on which he also supervises several MSc and PhD students.
Before joining VU, Tim worked as a lecturer and researcher at the Flood Resilience Group at IHE Delft, where he focused on anticipatory water management in Alexandria, Egypt. He holds a cum laude Bachelor’s degree in Earth & Economics (specializing in GIS) from VU Amsterdam, and a Master’s degree in Earth Surface and Water from Utrecht University, where he followed specialized tracks in GIS and remote sensing.
Tim has received several awards for his work, including the OSPP Award from the European Geoscience Union (2023) and a presentation award from the International Water Association (2019).
Ancillary activities
No ancillary activities
Ancillary activities are updated daily
Academic qualification
Earth Surface and Water, Master, Utrecht University
1 Sept 2015 → 1 Aug 2017
Award Date: 1 Aug 2017
Earth and Economics, Bachelor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
1 Sept 2012 → 1 Aug 2015
Award Date: 1 Aug 2015
User created Keywords
- Water management
- drought risk
- flood risk
- forecasting
- meteorology
- disaster risk
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Assessing the Effectiveness of Nature‐Based Solutions and Building‐Level Flood Risk Reduction Measures: An Open‐Source Coupled Model
Bril, V. C., de Bruijn, J., de Moel, H., Sadana, T., Busker, T., Botzen, W. J. W. & Aerts, J. C. J. H., 3 Mar 2026, In: Water Resources Research. 62, 3, e2025WR041436.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
Comparing flood forecasting and early warning systems in northwestern Europe
Busker, T., Rodriguez Castro, D., Vorogushyn, S., Kwadijk, J., Zoccatelli, D., Oliveira, R. G. L., Murdock, H. J., Pfister, L., Dewals, B., Slager, K., Thieken, A. H., Verkade, J., Willems, P. & Aerts, J. C. J. H., 2026, In: Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 26, 3, p. 1457-1478 22 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
The Value of Precipitation Forecasts to Anticipate Floods
Busker, T., van den Hurk, B., de Moel, H. & Aerts, J. C. J. H., 1 Mar 2025, In: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 106, 3, p. E473-E491 19 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
Drought impacts and community adaptation: Perspectives on the 2020–2023 drought in East Africa
Odongo, R. A., Schrieks, T., Streefkerk, I., de Moel, H., Busker, T., Haer, T., MacLeod, D., Michaelides, K., Singer, M., Assen, M., Otieno, G. & Loon, A. F. V., Mar 2025, In: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 119, 105309, 105309.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
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Anticipating Weather and Climate Extremes: The Value of Early Action to Reduce Disaster Impacts
Busker, T. S., 7 Nov 2024, 194 p.Research output: PhD Thesis › PhD-Thesis - Research and graduation internal
Open AccessFile1046 Downloads (Pure)
Courses
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JCAR: Transboundary flood risk assessments in NW Europe
Aerts, J. (Project Researcher), Busker, T. (Project Researcher), Gouveia Loureiro Oliveira, R. (Project Researcher) & Sadana, T. (Project Researcher)
31/08/24 → 1/11/28
Project: Research
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Coastmove ERC-2019-ADG
Aerts, J. (Principal Investigator), Duijndam, S. (Project Researcher), Reimann, L. (Project Researcher), Tierolf, L. (Project Researcher), Hagedoorn, L. (Project Researcher), Pandey, K. (Project Researcher), Kalthof, M. (Project Researcher), Kim, M. (Project Researcher), Ingels, M. (Project Researcher), Sadana, T. (Project Researcher), Busker, T. (Project Researcher), Ferman Carral, C. (Project Researcher) & Gouveia Loureiro Oliveira, R. (Project Researcher)
1/11/20 → 30/06/26
Project: Research
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Resilience nEtwork of Smart Innovative cLImate-adapative rOoftops
van Veen, N. (Project Researcher), Haer, T. (Principal Investigator), de Moel, H. (Project Researcher), van der Grijp, N. (Project Researcher), Petrovics, D. (Project Researcher), Wens, M. (Project Researcher), Busker, T. (Project Researcher) & Tierolf, L. (Project Researcher)
1/01/19 → 30/04/22
Project: Research
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Palmawat contract 2
Aerts, J. (Principal Investigator), de Ruiter, M. (Project Researcher), de Moel, H. (Project Researcher), Ton, M. (Project Researcher), Dullaart, J. (Project Researcher), Wens, M. (Project Researcher), Busker, T. (Project Researcher), van Schendel, M. (Project Researcher), Leijnse, T. (Project Researcher) & Ingels, M. (Project Researcher)
1/01/18 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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palmawat
Aerts, J. (Principal Investigator), de Ruiter, M. (Project Researcher), Wens, M. (Project Researcher), de Moel, H. (Project Researcher), Hagedoorn, L. (Project Researcher), Tierolf, L. (Project Researcher), Busker, T. (Project Researcher) & Sabino Siemons, A.-S. (Project Researcher)
1/06/16 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
Prizes / Grants
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Best Poster Award at IWA-ASPIRE Hong Kong
Busker, T. (Recipient), 4 Nov 2019
Prize / Grant: Prize › Academic
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OSPP award from the European Geoscience Union (EGU)
Busker, T. (Recipient), 2023
Prize / Grant: Prize › Academic