Blue Dragon Team

Work Experience

• IPM Role Holder: Technical Manager or Project Manager - From January 2025 – Present
• Asset Management Trainer – Blue Deal Program (Blue Dragon) - From November 2019 – Present | Can Tho, Mekong Delta, Vietnam - Contributing to the development and implementation of an asset management plan for water infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region.
• Maintenance / Asset Management Advisor - Vechtstromen Water Authority | From January 2014 – Present | Almelo, the Netherlands - Advising on maintenance strategies and asset management for wastewater and water systems.
• Lecturer – Dutch Water Education Foundation (Stichting Wateropleidingen) - From January 2004 – Present | Training locations: Zwolle or in-company
• Teaching technical modules on wastewater treatment (TAZ, UTAZ, HTAZ, HZ) -Lecturer – Advanced Wastewater Treatment Technology (HTAZ) - From January 2005 – Present | The Netherlands
• Regge en Dinkel Water Authority - Process Manager - From January 2004 – December 2013
  • Responsible for managing maintenance processes for treatment plants and water-related structures.
  • Maintenance Engineer - From May 1992 – December 2004 - Carried out technical maintenance and operational oversight of wastewater treatment systems.

EDUCATION

• The University of Can Tho | Can Tho City, Vietnam 2019-2023: The Advanced Program in BSc. Biotechnology- Institute of Food and Biotechnology

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

• Blue Dragon Program - Program Officer from August 2025
• Gender-sensitizing for Design and Operation of Water-Energy-Climate Change Infrastructures in Soc
  Trang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam - GS4INFRA – Project Assistant, local investigator June 2024- May 2025
• Co-creation of knowledge as a response to the water injustices in Soc Trang Province, Vietnam
  Local Investigator & Project Assistant 2022-2023

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Languages: English.
• Technical Skills: Experience in data collection and analysis (qualitative and quantitative), and
  report writing in English and Vietnamese.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong leadership, cross-cultural collaboration, and stakeholder engagement,
  demonstrated through international fellowships and community projects.

General Information 

• Participant of Wetskills in 2025
• Water YEPper from 2022 to 2024
• Education Background: Pharmacy from 2011 to 2016

Working Experience

• Program Officer of Blue Dragon Program since January 2020 until August 2025:
  • Based in Can Tho since 2020
  • Working directly with Vietnamese stakeholders: keep information smoothly run through the program
  • Managing all logistics activities in Mekong Delta, office tasks, paperwork, dealing with unexpected troublesome while implementing the program

• Project Coordinator of WaterWorx in 2022
• Project Coordinator of Japanese Clinic in Can Tho from 2016 to 2019

Erik Klaassen – Resident Representative Blue Dragon Program Vietnam is a senior project manager/expert consultant with extensive civil and hydraulic expertise, having over 20 years broad experience in water-related projects such as rivers, flood management, (urban) drainage, and water resources. 

For most of his professional career, he has been working in Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, South Korea, and China):

He completed projects for International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. He has been involved in a large number of projects in Vietnam. Some of these projects are Development of Vietnam Mekong Delta Master Plan to 2030 with an outlook to 2050; the establishment of Flood Risk Management Information System in Can Tho City; Feasibility study – Nga Bay resilient city project in Mekong Delta – Hau Giang Province; and Flood protection and drainage of medium-sized coastal towns in Vietnam to adapt to climate change.

As a resident representative, he has the following responsibilities: 

1) functions as an intermediary between the Vietnamese and Dutch sides of the Blue Dragon Program, acts as a Dutch representative at the senior level in Vietnam, and supports general activities, e.g. contact with existing and new provinces, local NGO’s, ideas for new pilots; 

2) Support in continuity and commitment of pool training, including assignments and implementation of plans; 

3) Support in pilot projects. Including technical support and advice; 

4) Technical and other advice and comments on reports from hired consultants.
 

Experience

Blue Dragon Program Vietnam (Blue Deal) 

• Partnership manager
• From 2020 - Present

Waterschap De Dommel

• Strategisch adviseur Inkoop & Aanbesteding from Feb 2014 - Present
• Procesmanager Inkoop & Aanbesteding a.i. from Sep 2010 - Jan 2014