A visionary, kind man who saw people for more than just their job titles. That is how engineer Gertjan Berndt Beekman, one of the world’s leading experts in water resources management, will be remembered by his friends and colleagues at the Delegation of the IICA in Brasilia, the city where he passed away at the age of 74 and where he was involved in important, innovative projects from 1995 to 2022.
Brasilia, 2 October 2024 (IICA) – A visionary, kind man who saw people for more than just their job titles. That is how engineer Gertjan Berndt Beekman, one of the world’s leading experts in water resources management, will be remembered by his friends and colleagues at the Delegation of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Brasilia, the city where he passed away at the age of 74 and where he was involved in important, innovative projects from 1995 to 2022.
Gertjan, a Dutch national, arrived in São Paulo when he was eight years old, at a time when Europe was grappling with the aftermath of World War II. In Brazil, the Berndt Beekman family found a land of peace and opportunities in which to rebuild their life, embarking on a period of adaptation to a new climate, language and culture. These were formative years for Gertjan, who would go on to become one of the country’s most respected specialists on water resources management and make a valuable contribution to the fight against desertification and efforts to mitigate the effects of drought in South America.
He is regarded as a visionary leader by colleagues in his field, because he always searched for innovative solutions to water and climate challenges.
He studied in the Netherlands and Sweden, and received a Master’s degree in Hydrology at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and a PHD in Social Change and Resettlement at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. He applied his wealth of knowledge in water resources planning in projects led by IICA, the National Water Agency (ANA) and the São Francisco River Basin Committee (CBHSF).
He dedicated his professional life to developing water resources projects to guarantee access to water and improve the quality of life of Brazilians, especially in the Northeast region, the poorest in the country.
He coordinated national and international efforts in matters related to irrigation, ecological and economic zoning, as well as dam assessment and safety.
The ANA agency highlighted Gertjan’s “great contributions to the water resources system, especially in the São Francisco basin, in addition to contributing value and knowledge to the National Water Resources Policy (PNRH)”.
“His legacy of dedication, competence and commitment to socioenvironmental causes will be remembered by all those who had the opportunity to work alongside him”, reads a statement by the CBHSF.
Gertjan began working at IICA in 1995, as part of the National Irrigation and Drainage Program. He served as Coordinator for the Agriculture, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Climate Change Adaptation areas. Despite his many activities, he never stopped socializing with his colleagues and friends at IICA and making generous contributions to new initiatives and projects.
Gertjan is survived by his wife Tamara and a son, Jan Beekman.
In his free time, he enjoyed playing tennis, traveling and learning about new cultures.
Curiosity, dynamism, non-conformism with injustice and academic and technical rigor, combined with a deep understanding of human beings and their needs, are the hallmarks of his personal and professional legacy.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
