Background

I studied general geology at the University of Utrecht and continued for a Masters in Hydrology at the Free University in Amsterdam. After graduation I worked 10 years for the UN in Kenya, Mali and Niger. I was mainly involved in regional or national water resources planning. In 1992 I joined ITC.

Activities in education

• Input in teaching of groundwater, GIS/RS and modelling and water management.
• Organization of MSc fieldwork and supervision of students.

Activities in research

Research has been related to the MSc fieldwork in Naivasha, Kenya. Since 1997 over 60 MSc students and one PhD student have carried out their research around Naivasha. I focused on the modelling of the lake (water balance, surface water, groundwater, water management and allocation). Other ITC staff members have focused on issues as water quality, use of remote sensing, and soils.

Activities in project services

I have carried out assignments in Haiti, Yemen, Botswana, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya and Niger. The last 5 years almost all assignments for various clients (World Bank, START, DGIS, RIZA) were related to the work in Naivasha.

Publications

ISI Journal Articles

Georgiadou, P.Y., Bana, B., Becht, R., Hoppe, R., Ikingura, J., Kraak, M.J., Lance, K.T., Lemmens, R.L.G., Lungo, J.H., McCall, M.K., Miscione, G. and Verplanke, J.J. (2011) Sensors, empowerment and accountability : a digital earth view from East Africa : invited paper. In: International journal of digital earth, 4 (2011)4 pp. 285-304. Full text | Full text

Mutiga, J.K., Mavengano, S.T., Su, Z., Woldai, T. and Becht, R. (2010) Water allocation as a planning tool to minimise water use conflicts in the upper Ewaso Ng'iro north basin, Kenya. In: Water resources management, 24 (2010)14 pp. 3939-3959. Full text | Full text

Tenalem Ayenew Tegaye and Becht, R. (2008) Comparative assessment of the water balance and hydrology of selected Ethiopian and Kenyan rift lakes. In: Lakes & reservoirs : research and management, 13(2008)1, pp. 181-196. Full text

Becht, R. and Harper, D.M. (2002) Towards an understanding of human impact upon the hydrology of Lake Naivasha, Kenya. In: Hydrobiologia, 488(2002)1-3. pp. 1-11. Full text

Conference Proceedings (full papers)

Becht, R., Mwango, F. and Muno, F.A. (2006) Groundwater links between Kenyan rift valley lakes. In: Proceedings of the 11th world lakes conference, 31 October - 4 November 2005, Nairobi, Kenya. / ed. by E.O Odada ... [et.al]. Nairobi : Ministry of Water and Irrigation ; International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC), 2006. Vol. II. pp. 7-14. Full text | Full text

Becht, R. and Nyaoro, J.R. (2006) The influence of groundwater on lake - water management : the Naivasha case. In: Proceedings of the 11th world lakes conference, 31 October - 4 November 2005, Nairobi, Kenya. / ed. by E.O Odada ... [et.al]. Nairobi : Ministry of Water and Irrigation ; International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC), 2006. Vol. II. pp. 384-388. Full text | Full text

Scientific and Professional Publications

Becht, R., Odada, E.O. and Higgins, S. (2005) Lake Naivasha : experience and lessons learned brief. In: Lake basin management initiative : Experience and lessons learned briefs. including the final report: Managing lakes and basins for sustainable use, a report for lake basin managers and stakeholders. Kusatsu : International Lake Environment Committe Foundation (ILEC), 2005. pp. 277-298. Full text

Becht, R. and Mannaerts, C.M. (2005) Lake Naivasha hydrological and environmental studies. Enschede, ITC, 2005. CD-ROM with articles about Lake Naivasha.

Becht, R. (2004) Capacity building for water and global change in Africa. In: Pacom newsletter : a special issue on climate change and water resources in Africa / ed. by E. Odada, D. Olago. Nairobi : University of Nairobi, Department of Geology, 2004. pp 64-65.

Presentations

Mulatu, D.W., van der Veen, A., Becht, R., van Oel, P.R. and Bekalo, D.J. (2011) The spatial non - stationarity of population - land use - cover relationships in Lake Naivasha basin : an application of Geographically Weighted Regression, GWR : abstract. Presented at IGS - SENSE conference Resilient Societies : governing risk and vulnerability for water, energy and climate change, 19-21 October 2011, Enschede, the Netherlands : special session : African natural resources. 1 p. Full text

van der Veen, A., Becht, R. and van Oel, P.R. (2011) Using agent - based modelling to depict basin closure in the Naivasha basin, Kenya : a framework of analysis : abstract + powerpoint. In: Tropentag 2011, 5-7 October 2011, Bonn, Germany : book of abstracts / ed. by E. Tielkes. -Witzenhausen ; DITSL : German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture, 2011. ISBN 978-3-9801686-7-0. Full text | Full text | Full text

Chesterton, M. (presentor) and Becht, R. (interviewee)  (2010) Flower farming from a hydrologist's perspective : are Marnie's roses, and the other millions of romantic bouquets, really responsible for draining the water of Lake Naivasha and polluting it with pesticides and fertilizer?. Hilversum, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep (RNW), 2010. Full text | Full text

van Oel, P.R., Voinov, A.A., Becht, R. and van der Veen, A. (2010) Integrated assessment of the governance of the Naivasha basin, Kenya : abstract. Presented at Aquatic Resources of Kenya : ARK II : 2nd international conference on aquatic research for development, 16-19 November 2010, Naivasha, Kenya. 1 p. Full text

Muthuwatta, L.P. and Becht, R. (2006) Use of soil and water assessment tool SWAT and historical data to estimate the stream flow in ungauged catchment : a case study from Naivasha basin, Kenya. Presented at AOGS 2006 the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 3rd annual meeting 10–14 July 2006, Singapore. Singapore, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), 2006.