Symposium Future Dutch Delta

Programme

Block 1

Geology of the Netherlands

‘The past is key to the future’: How has the Netherlands developed the past 2000 years and what has been the impact of humans on the Dutch Delta? To what extent can events from warm periods of the geological past tell us something about the climate that awaits us? Autonomous processes such as subsidence will also be included in the talk.

Changing climate in the Netherlands

Future weather in a warmer climate. What are the most recent insights in the latest climate insights for the Netherlands. Climate change leads to sea-level rise and more extreme weather, but what do these climate scenarios mean for everyday weather in the Netherlands? What will the weather look like when it has become warmer? This talk will address sea level rise, more heavy precipitation, rising temperatures, drought, and changes in river discharge.

Block 2

Flood risk

This talk consists of two parts: water safety in the coastal zone and in the river area. Flood safety in the coastal zone is provided by sandy dunes and hard coastal flood defences. What are the challenges for those soft and hard flood defences in the coastal zone in the coming decades? What are the challenges of the rivers in the Netherlands under changing river discharges and high sea level?

Fresh water availability

Under rising sea levels and a warming climate, the availability of fresh water resources is under pressure. More frequent salinization of estuaries, canals and groundwater is expected. Increasing droughts may further lead to the decline of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, soil subsidence due to peat oxidation, and more frequent limitations for inland navigation. How is the drought risk expected to evolve under future change?

Water quality, ecology, and health

Warmer and drier summers will affect the water quality. Warmer water can hold less oxygen, resulting in fish mortality, whereas algae will bloom. During periods of enhanced rainfall, here is a risk of contamination of the surface water. What are the implications for water quality, ecology, and health in a warmer climate with larger variations in dry and wet conditions?

Parallel Sessions

During the parallel sessions there will be the opportunity to explore regional specific changes and challenges. The regions that are included are: Southwest Delta, Rhine-Meuse estuary/Drechtsteden & Groene Hart, River area and high sandy soils, and coastal areas.

These sessions will start with an overview of the long-term, interdisciplinary challenges for the region, which will be followed by short research presentations from researchers and water experts and a discussion. If you like to contribute with a short presentation, please indicate on the subscription form. We very much also welcome earlier career researchers and PhD-candidates.

Block 3

Renewal and renovation – the infrastructural perspective

In the second half of last century many large-scale infrastructure works have been constructed that have increased the flood safety levels. A large part of this infrastructure needs to be renewed or renovated in the coming decades. Choices made in this process have a large impact on the system for a long period of time, as infrastructure is often designed for a lifetime of 100 years. How do we make sure that we make the right choices given the changing climate and sea level rise and the other ongoing transitions?

Collaborating with nature - water and soil are guiding

One of the ongoing transitions is the shift towards having water and soil guiding for spatial planning. What are the implications of this transition given the expected changes due to climate change and sea level rise, and how can nature-based solution be a part of the puzzle in climate change adaptation?

Coastal economies and climate change

Adverse effects of climate change, in particular floods and sea level rise, will have profound effects on coastal economies. This presentation provides a concise overview of critical processes in socio-economic systems to consider when assessing damages and designing climate change adaptation strategies. Key factors for fostering climate-resilient coastal economies include: distribution of indirect damages and of adaptation benefits, location of firms in light of escalating hazard probability and severity, stranded assets, and the pivotal role of private decisions in synergy with public adaptation.

Using adaptation pathways to explore the solution space

Adaptation pathways explore how sets of solutions can support the livability of a delta under an uncertain future. And how the solution space (i.e. the space within which opportunities and constraints determine why, how, when, and who adapts to climate risks) develops under those changing conditions. It facilitates policy makers by providing insight in the long-term consequences of adaptation decisions.