Jointly understanding and validating the system and challenges

In the process of climate adaptation collaboration between a high diversity of actors is required. The degree and type of cooperation can vary between the several aims of climate change adaptation. Raising awareness, collaboration to test systems, cocreating measures. Understanding and validating the systems and challenges of climate adaptation is a multidisiciplinary effort.

Situation

From studies by the IPCC it has become clear that many areas and societies are prone to flood risk, water logging, drought and other extreme weather circumstances like heatwaves. Climate change effects are a driver for major transitions in delta areas. Societies in these areas, including businesses, NGOs and governments, need to adapt to climate change effects. Besides climate change also human behavior and how we deal with the built environment has impact on these transitions. Delta areas are important areas for trade, industry, agriculture, living, recreation and nature. The combination of all these functions in the scarce space available makes delta areas and societies vulnerable for climate change effects. For the Netherlands the recently launched Delta Plan Spatial Adaptation has set the ambition: ‘The Netherlands will be climate proof and water robust in 2050’. At the moment, municipalities, regional water authorities, provinces, safety regions, Rijkswaterstaat and ministries are working towards this, with the intention to embed climate adaptation by 2020 in their policies and practice. Also the new Environmental Management and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) is an important framework for these transitions. This new framework asks for facilitative planning. Governments will focus more on (co)creating the preconditions for other societal stakeholders to take action. The projects in this living lab are concentrated within the Zeeland region, sometimes in comparison with other (inter)national delta areas. One of the cases takes place in the Reimerswaal area, in which the impact of failure of critical infrastructure on different delta systems will be assessed for a diversity of vulnerable functions in the delta. Other cases are available about climate impact and adaptation in urbanized areas in the region.

Aim

The research in this living lab is applied within the above frameworks. I.e. within the challenge of climate adaptation in coastal areas, we look for effective solutions in interaction with a diversity of stakeholders and their interest. In these solutions we strive to connect long term planning with short-term action. The aims of the study are four fold:

  1. Risk analysis within one of the case studies areas. Four hazards can be included in these analysis: Coastal flooding, Water logging, Drought, Heat stress. After your participation in this living lab you will have basic knowledge on all four hazards. There is the opportunity to conduct more in depth studies to one or a combination of these climate change effects by measuring and monitoring.
  2. Impact assessment. Study the (potential) impact of hazards on important (sub)systems of societies in coastal areas. In particular impact on the built environment and vulnerability of society are taken into account. For the built environment critical infrastructure and land use are important subsystems. In societal aspects, we include risk perception, awareness, social capital and economic resilience.
  3. Coping capacity. Depending on your background and ambition as a student you can conduct studies about designing new measures, effectiveness of measures, vision development and adaptive planning
  4. Connect the results to the studied transitions in this living lab and the relevant governance strategies and arrangements: becoming climate proof and water robust in 2050, and the movement towards more facilitative, adaptive and integrated planning.

Boundary conditions

  • Serving multiple goals: safety, land use, social capital, economy, nature-basedm (green-blue solutions)
  • Meeting local needs (perceptions, risk acceptance, connecting diverse interests)
  • Linking long term planning with short term action
  • Sustainability
  • (Social) cost-benefits

Stakeholders

  • Governments (municipalities, regional water authority, safety region, province, national departments)
  • Communities
  • Critical infrastructure managers and service providers (Enduris, Evides, Delta, health care organizations)
  • Industry, business and other economic actors (depending on location)
  • Land owners (agriculture, nature organizations)
  • Universities and other research institutes

Prerequisites













References