Professor Edward Pierzgalski, Renowned Expert in Water Management and Honorary Doctor of SUA, Has Passed Away

At the age of 82, Professor Edward Pierzgalski, a renowned expert in water management in rural and forest landscapes from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) and an honorary doctor of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA), has passed away.

Edward Pierzgalski was born on 15 March 1944 in Gdynia, Poland. After completing his secondary education in Gdynia, he graduated from the Faculty of Land Reclamation at SGGW in Warsaw in 1967, earning a Master’s degree in Landscape Engineering. He continued his academic and scientific career at his alma mater, ultimately attaining the highest academic rank of university professor in 2001.

At SGGW in Warsaw, Professor Pierzgalski held several senior management positions. He first served as Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and, following the completion of his term, became Vice-Rector for Education. He headed the Department of Environmental Engineering at SGGW and simultaneously served as Director of the Water Management Department at the Forest Research Institute in Warsaw.

Professor Pierzgalski was a highly respected expert in the field of water management in rural and forest landscapes. His work addressed irrigation, drainage, erosion control, and environmental protection more broadly. His scientific and research activities focused on the impact of anthropogenic factors on the dynamics of water resources in rural areas, climate change mitigation, and the sustainable management of natural resources. In recognition of his expertise, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development appointed him as a member of the team responsible for preparing a national programme for the restoration of land reclamation systems and sustainable development. He coordinated the preparation of a programme for flood safety and protection along the Vistula River and was a member of the Association of Water and Land Reclamation Engineers and Technicians.

His professional expertise and extensive scientific experience were highly valued not only nationally but also internationally. He was a member of the Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds of the FAO European Forestry Commission in Rome, where he served as Vice-Chair. He was also a member of the Slovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences. As a specialist in water management and soil erosion control, he spent four years working in Libya and Iraq on the construction of irrigation canals. As a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences committee in the field of environmental and agricultural engineering and land reclamation, he served successively as Secretary, Vice-President and President (2003–2010).

His extensive scientific and research activities resulted in numerous publications, patents, research grants and other achievements. His dedication to education is reflected in the many successful Master’s and doctoral graduates who completed their studies under his supervision. For his enthusiastic and dedicated scientific and educational work, he received several prestigious awards from the Ministry of Education and Science.

The Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra awarded Professor Edward Pierzgalski the honorary degree of Doctor honoris causa in recognition of his significant contribution to the advancement of science and knowledge in the field of environmental studies, to mutual cooperation, and to strengthening the international standing of SUA in Nitra. The ceremonial conferral of the honorary degree took place on 4 November 2014.

May his memory be honoured.

Photo: MPWiK Wrocław