This year the committed efforts of UT researchers have resulted in an increasing number of exciting new projects in the realm of climate resilience. The projects that have just started or will begin soon are summarised here. The UT's drought resilience projects page also provides an inventory of new projects.
The DIWA project (Interreg 2024-28) which begins this summer, will develop a cross-border drought approach for transboundary Vechte basin with a focus on governance, resilience assessment, impact assessment, scenarios and pathways. Led by the Vechtstromen Water Authority, the project involves German and Dutch government agencies and the UT researchers from the UT faculties of Engineering Technology and Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences. (UT contact: Lara Wöhler, ET)
A scoping study of the Vechte Basin was recently completed and serves as a pilot for a larger cross-boundary study looking at the future of water resources management and disaster risk management. The initiative was launched by the Joint Cooperation programme for applied scientific research on flood and drought risk management in regional river basins (JCAR-ATRACE) to accelerate transboundary regional adaptation. Led by Deltares, the study involves UT researchers from the UT faculties of Engineering Technology and Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences and Designlab, together with researchers from Osnabrück University in Germany. (UT contact: Lara Wöhler, ET)
The "COMBINED" Climate and Biodiversity project (NWA, 2024-2030) beginning this autumn will examine how changes in biodiversity and climate affect each other in Dutch landscapes and how to overcome barriers to successful measures. The consortium is led by ITC at the University of Twente and also involves the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences. A website is in development. (UT contact: Wieteke Willemen)
The SpongeWorks - Co-creating and Upscaling Sponge Landscapes by Working with Natural Water Retention and Sustainable Management (Horizon Europe) is a 4-year project starting in September 2024. Partners will develop nature-based solutions to boost the natural retention function of landscapes to reduce flooding, drought and to improve water quality. The project has a focus on three river basins including Vechte in Netherlands /Germany, the Pinios in Greece and the Lèze in France. The project involves the UTwente faculties of Engineering Technology and Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences and the UT's Design Lab. The project is led by Leibniz University Hannover and also involves Vechtstromen Water Authority, Deltares, Municipality of Hardenburg, Grafschaft Bentheim and many other partners. (UT contact: Dr. Joanne Vinke - de Kruijf, ET)
From 2025 the project, Adapt! - Security in Open Societies (SOS) (NWO Zwartekracht), aims to radically advance the current state of knowledge, insights, tools, and strategies that can boost the ability of citizens, frontline professionals, and policymakers to collectively address three types of crises: pandemic-related, violent extremism, and disasters such as floods and earthquakes. The project is led by Utrecht University. (UT contact: Ellen Giebels, BMS)
The project Climate-resilient WASH among people experiencing homelessness in cities (ITC Blue Skies Fund) is gathering evidence on the effects of extreme weather events on the daily life and health of people that are experiencing homelessness, the effect on WASH infrastructure, the consequences for homeless people and their health. This knowledge will guide the identification and development of appropriate solutions and interventions.
The project, Climate-sensitive blue and green spaces with vulnerable urban populations, has recently been awarded seed funding by the VU-UT Collaboration Fund. The project looks at barriers to accessing blue and green spaces by disadvantaged populations, which is often associated with stigma and lack of involvement in planning processes. The project will also explore measures to support these populations in benefiting from access We aim to counteract these barriers by considering their needs and including them in urban planning processes. The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam partner is UrbanistAI. For more details see also the LinkedIn post (UT Contact: Carmen Anthonj, ITC).
With support from Vitens, Vechtstromen Water Authority and the Faculty of Engineering Technology, Resilience Engineering grant, a new project, Game-based approaches for improving resilience in a changing world: the case of drought resilience in Eastern Netherlands, is being initiated on the theme of water savings and alternative sources of water. The project will explore the value of water and develop solutions for dealing with water shortages and strengthen resilience to this with the support of serious gaming. (UT contact: Lara Wöhler, ET).
Resilient Approaches in Natural Rangeland Ecosystems (RANGE) is a new five-year project funded by the Dutch Embassy in Kenya. It aims to strengthen the resilience of communities in arid and semi-arid lands in the counties of Isiolo, Marsabit and Samburu. This will be achieved through multiple interventions and capacity-building activities. Specifically, the project aims to contribute to improved rangeland management, sustainable production methods, strengthened government structures, and better-informed decision-making. The project is carried out by Mercy Corps, together with Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) and the Faculty of ITC. RANGE also intends to build strong partnerships with other institutions, building upon ongoing local and national initiatives.
In addition to the above externally funded projects, the UT's Climate Centre has funded nine new projects aimed at increasing climate impact. The project descriptions can be found on this page.