PhD candidate Obbe Tuinenburg defended his doctoral thesis on the 15th of April, 2013. His research related to the effects of large-scale irrigation in India on the atmosphere and rainfall. One of the conclusions of this research is that a small increase in irrigation during the months directly before and after the monsoon season can give rise to increased precipitation in the same catchment basin. His doctoral thesis supervisor is Pavel Kabat. His co-supervisor is Ronald Hutjes.

After 9 years, Pim Martens hands over his directorship of ICIS (International Centre for Integrated assessment & Sustainable development). Pim Martens was appointed in 2004 at Maastricht University as professor of Global Dynamics and Sustainable Development and as director of ICIS. In this period, ICIS has further improved its international standing as one of the most prominent sustainability science research institutions.

19 maart 2013 promoveerde Willemijn Appels op haar onderzoek naar de oppervlakkige afvoer van water op vlakke landbouwgronden. Er is nog weinig bekend van de relaties tussen de sturende processen van oppervlakkige afvoer en de rol van het maaiveld in de afvoer van water naar het oppervlaktewater. Promotor is Sjoerd van der Zee. Co-promotor is Patrick Bogaart.

Op 1 maart 2013 promoveerde SENSE PhD Ruud Janssen op zijn onderzoek naar de chemie en fysica achter de evolutie van organische aerosolen boven bossen. Hij concludeert dat in boreale bossen de dynamiek van de atmosferische grenslaag essentieel is voor het begrijpen van de koppeling tussen deze bossen, bewolking en het klimaat. Promotor is Pavel Kabat. Co-promotoren zijn Laurens Ganzeveld en Jordi Vila.

The surprising conclusion of the doctoral research project on the feeding ecology of porpoises by SENSE PhD Okka Jansen is that the Eastern Scheldt may be an ecological trap. She also discovered that more than just examinations of stomach contents are required to find out what porpoises eat. The analyses of stable isotopes and fatty acids have produced astonishing new data as well as more accurate information.