Derek Van Der Kamp Email & Phone Number

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Gatineau, Qc

Working at the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, I helped Canadians incorporate climate change into their decision making. This involved developing web-applications that provide easy access to climate change data and resources, producing new climate change data products, and providing training to users.

Ottawa, Canada Area

The goal of the Mitacs Science Policy Fellowship is to improve the two-way dialog between decision makers and scientists in Canada. In my position at the OAG I assisted in auditing environmental programs, policies, and regulations, including federal climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. This work included disseminating scientific research, advising on the focus of audits, and exploring ways in which government science can become more transparent and accountable.

My thesis examines the spatial patterns of fuel moisture across forested landscapes and its impact on wildfire burn patterns. To this end, I designed and implemented field observations to identify spatial patterns of near-surface climate. I also developed a novel fuel moisture model that is driven by the field observations. As a complement to this local scale I am using satellite data to create maps of burn patterns and examine relationships between burn severity, topography and land cover.… Show more My thesis examines the spatial patterns of fuel moisture across forested landscapes and its impact on wildfire burn patterns. To this end, I designed and implemented field observations to identify spatial patterns of near-surface climate. I also developed a novel fuel moisture model that is driven by the field observations. As a complement to this local scale I am using satellite data to create maps of burn patterns and examine relationships between burn severity, topography and land cover. Show less

Vancouver, Canada Area

I have held numerous teaching assistant positions primarily in second and third year atmospheric science courses. My duties involved lab instruction as well as marking. I have also provided marking for a graduate-level course in environmental data analysis using R.

Vancouver, Canada Area

I co-taught an introductory atmospheric science course which covers the global climate system (including tropical and extratropical teleconnections), synoptic meteorology, surface processes and climate change

Vancouver, Canada Area

I examined the impact of climate variability and change on drought, wildfire risk and ecosystem health within Metro Vancouver's water supply areas. This project included an analysis of historical and possible future trends in fire weather and water budgets. It also involved research on the impacts of drought on coastal forests

Victoria, Canada

I worked within a team of researchers to provide climate services to stakeholders in British Columbia. I developed a multivariate statistical downscaling technique connecting surface winds in complex topography with synoptic scale weather patterns derived from gridded reanalysis data. I also used an ensemble of climate models and bias correction to create future projections of fire weather indices to assess the impact of climate change on wildfire activity in British Columbia.

Vancouver, Canada Area

This position was part of a collaboration between university researchers and practitioners that focused on the connections between climate and forest fires in British Columbia. I undertook several projects including the development of a novel synoptic weather typing procedure. I also modelled lightning frequency in British Columbia using global climate model output and created future projections of lightning frequency. I developed a statistical procedure for predicting the timing of spring… Show more This position was part of a collaboration between university researchers and practitioners that focused on the connections between climate and forest fires in British Columbia. I undertook several projects including the development of a novel synoptic weather typing procedure. I also modelled lightning frequency in British Columbia using global climate model output and created future projections of lightning frequency. I developed a statistical procedure for predicting the timing of spring snowmelt. I contributed to a workshop on climate change and wildfire organized by the British Columbia Wildfire Management Branch. Show less

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Geography

Masters Of Science, Atmospheric Sciences And Meteorology

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Physics