In memoriam: Patrick Denny, Professor of Wetland and Aquatic Ecology

IHE Delft Professor Emeritus Patrick Denny, whose work on wetlands continues to influence IHE Delft's wetland programmes, passed away in August 2023. Patrick Denny was Professor of Wetland and Aquatic Ecology at IHE Delft from 1993 to his retirement in 2003. In this role, he supervised numerous PhD candidates and MSc students, many of whom now hold senior positions, and inspired students and others with his vast expertise.

In addition to serving at IHE Delft, he was active in several international advisory roles, including at Wetlands International and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He held teaching positions at the University of London in the 1970s and 1980s, and was director of the Centre for Research in Aquatic Biology, Queen Mary College, from 1986 to 1992, followed by a year at the UK government agency English Nature.

Patrick considered Uganda his second home, and his years in Uganda were influential for his decision to join IHE Delft. He was a post-doctoral research fellow at Makerere University in 1963, and later served as a lecturer at the university’s Department of Botany.

At Makerere, Patrick developed a passion for tropical aquatic plants and a commitment to the wetlands and the people of the region. This led him to focus his teaching and research on topics such as tropical hydrobiology, physiology and ecology of water plants, as well as wetland ecology and management.

At IHE Delft, Patrick concentrated on developing the Institute’s wetland portfolio. He had strong ideas about capacity development, and advocated for strengthening the position of African researchers and their institutions in wetlands research. He was one of the initiators of the joint MSc programme Limnology and Wetland Management, still offered by IHE Delft, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Austria and Egerton University in Kenya.

At IHE Delft, Patrick’s research focus shifted to more applied wetland research, including wastewater treatment by natural and constructed wetlands and the re-use of treated wastewater. One of his last projects before retiring was an EU-funded project on integration of aquaculture ponds, so-called fingerponds, into wetland farming systems in East Africa. This work formed the basis of the research on wetland ecosystem functions and services that is still ongoing at IHE Delft today.

Besides his professional interests and knowledge, Patrick was also known for his contagious and inspiring enthusiasm, characteristics that at times sparked heated debate. His interests extended far beyond botany and wetlands: he collected antiques and books and loved music, and after his retirement combined his creativity with his extensive biological knowledge by developing his beautiful garden in Norwich into a wonderful floodplain grassland which attracted all kinds of wildlife.

a.vandam@un-ihe.org