It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of our beloved colleague Marijk Huijsman, Senior Urban Expert and Sociologist. Her fruitful career path has materialized in numerous projects, educational and training activities, and extensive consultancy experience, both in the Netherlands and abroad, particularly in the Global South.
"She specialised in integrated solid waste management and environmental planning and management and was engaged in the world of waste for over 25 years. Starting in the 1980s with research on waste picker communities in the city of Bangalore (India) and the coordination of a research project on linkages between formal and informal SWM systems in three Indian cities, she was intensively involved in research and advisory work related to pro-poor waste management approaches" (UN-Habitat). During this period, she built up extensive experiences in collaborating with local authorities, research institutions and Civil Society Organizations.
Besides her over 20 years of working experience as lecturer, advisor and researcher in projects worldwide, she was also a professional social worker for over 7 years and her involvement in this role brought a significant contribution to community development work in a number of Dutch municipalities. Before joining the IHS in 1997, Marijk worked as a research associate for the Faculty of Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam, and at the Institute for Development Research of Amsterdam.
Within IHS, she coordinated the Urban Environmental Management (UEM) specialisation and was involved in various educational and training activities covering subjects such as environmental policy analysis; participatory environmental planning and management; sustainable livelihood strategies; urban safety and integrated solid waste management. She also lectured at the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering (IHE) – UNESCO Water Institute in Delft (since 2002) on ISWM and on intercultural collaboration and communication and at the Hogeschool Rotterdam (since 2006) where she was involved in the “International Development” minor.
In her position as university lecturer and trainer, she taught and supervised numerous practitioners and students worldwide. Her valuable and kind contribution will live on and reflect in the lives of all those she has positively impacted along her path.
- More information
Publications
Haque, A. N., Grafakos, S. and Huijsman, M., 2012, Participatory integrated assessment of flood protection measures for climate adaptation in Dhaka. Environment and Urbanization, 24 (1), pp. 197-213.
Haque, A. N., Grafakos S. and Huijsman M., 2010, Assessment of adaptation measures against flooding in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh (IHS working papers series, no. 25) Rotterdam, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), 48 p.
Huijsman M., 1994, Waste picking as a survival strategy for women in Indian cities, Environment and Urbanization Vol.6, No.2, pp. 155-174 Huijsman, M., Velu J.S., Ganesh K.N. and Bhuvaneswari R., 1994, Approaches to urban solid waste management: Linkages between formal and informal systems of source separation and recycling, a profile of Bangalore, (discussion papers for a workshop on “Linkages in Urban Solid Waste Management”), Bangalore.
