Leon is a PhD candidate in the Mountain Hydrology group at Utrecht University. For his PhD project he focuses on the effect that mountain greening has on the hydrology in the Meretschi catchment in the Swiss Alps. During the project he will combine lab work, fieldwork, experiments and modelling to predict how the hydrological cycle will change in the alps.

Leon has a background in physical geography with an interest in hydrology and remote sensing. He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Earth Sciences at Utrecht University. For his bachelor thesis he focused on the effects of vegetation on sediment movement on the steep slopes of moraines. His master thesis was concentrated on the effect of climate change on the frequency and magnitude of debris flows in High Mountain Asia. During his master program he also did an internship at the World Bank working on improving IWRM in Bhutan and assisted on soil erosion experiments in Utrecht’s botanical gardens.