Fifteen years ago, Sander Meijerink and Gerald Jan Ellen first joined forces. They had both been working on water-related issues for some time and knew each other in that capacity. Collaborating was a logical step. ‘It started very informally and has grown organically,’ says Gerald Jan. ‘At some point we involved students, and later colleagues too.’ He compares it to a string of beads, where one project links on to the next. ‘It wasn’t conceived from an ivory tower.’
Both the university and Deltares deal with water-related issues such as drinking water availability, flooding, waterlogging and drought. ‘These were already important issues, but now each and every one of them has become even more urgent,’ says Gerald Jan. ‘Linked to topics such as land subsidence, climate change and PFAS, we are seeing a mounting of challenges, which is pushing this issue ever higher up the social agenda.’
Deltares and Radboud Univeristy bring together scientific and applied knowledge on water issues: ‘It has grown organically’
Water has become a hot topic in society and policy. Issues such as drinking water availability, flooding and drought are causing headaches for decision-makers. How can the available information be used in decision-making? To this end, Radboud University is joining forces with Deltares, an institute that focuses on applied research into water, soil and the subsurface. This close collaboration began with Professor of Water Governance Sander Meijerink and Deltares researcher Gerald Jan Ellen. ‘We’re no magicians, but we can shed light on issues.’
Practical application and theory
When addressing these issues, Deltares focuses primarily on the applied side, whilst the university focuses on the scientific side. The institute takes its starting point from a specific societal challenge arising from the field, whilst the university takes its starting point from theory. ‘Often, multiple problems converge within a single issue and various interests come into play,’ says Sander. ‘By combining measures, you can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously. Deltares develops technical models for potential integrated solutions. From the university’s perspective, we investigate how government bodies utilise this information provided by Deltares.’
For example, research has been carried out into the functioning of climate services (services that translate scientific climate data into practical information), such as the Climate Impact Atlas. This online tool provides an initial impression of how vulnerable different areas in the Netherlands are to waterlogging, drought, heat and flooding. ‘There is a knowledge gap between the capabilities of climate services and the way in which users actually utilise these services,’ explains Gerald Jan. ‘Sometimes policymakers work with such systems and sometimes they don’t,’ adds Sander. ‘The question is when the information is taken into account in decision-making and when it isn’t, and whether that has to do with the way in which this information is presented to policymakers.’
For another project, in collaboration with the province of South Holland, a serious game was designed to illustrate the impact of choices relating to available freshwater to policymakers and planners. ‘To do this, we developed a theoretical concept from public administration into a game,’ says Gerald Jan. In this way, civil servants discover the significance of policy choices and the consequences they entail. ‘We’re not magicians; we can’t simply solve complex issues. But with serious games, we try to make them more understandable.’
Linking the short and long term
At its core, the administrative approach to water issues is always about linking the short and long term. ‘What you do now has an impact on the future,’ says Sander. ‘That’s recognised in practice, but the question is how you act on it. That’s difficult.’ Gerald Jan: ‘We can say how it should be done, but that often causes a lot of pain. Moreover, there are also inherent uncertainties when you’re talking about the long term.’
In the Horizon Europe project BlueGreen Governance, Deltares and RU are jointly investigating long-term developments in the Westerschelde. Their findings show that the current strategy of dyke reinforcement will, in the long term, clash with European and national nature conservation targets. These can only be achieved by giving the Westerschelde more space and allowing the land to grow back into the sea in a controlled manner. ‘We want to demonstrate that resistance to innovative water safety concepts and continuing along the current path will, in the long run, lead to legal disputes and fines from the EU,’ says Sander.
Value of the collaboration
The two organisations now collaborate on a regular basis, although this is not set out in a contract. This includes, amongst other things, work placements for Master’s students, the development of an international guide for climate-resilient cities, advice to government bodies on multi-level governance of urban adaptation, and the joint funding of PhD research. ‘As a university, we need Deltares,’ says Sander. ‘They have access to the real-world examples we need to test our theories.’ In addition, students gain access to the professional field through work placements and by writing dissertations. ‘That’s brilliant, because we’re always on the lookout for work placement opportunities.’
Deltares benefits greatly from the university’s academic approach, which allows more scope for in-depth and critical reflection on the organisation and content of water policy, explains Gerald Jan. Through the work placements and dissertations, the institute forges its own connection with new entrants to the labour market. ‘Students think differently. They have fresh ideas and ask good questions. That’s how they help us move forward.’ It’s a great way to exchange knowledge. ‘Master’s students also have more time to undertake literature reviews, for example.’
3D model
Finally, Gerald Jan shows a scale model of the Virtual Climate Lab developed by Deltares, on which a Radboud student is collaborating as part of a European research project. It consists of a 3D-printed table onto which information can be projected and measures can be demonstrated interactively. The scale model depicts the area around the former Soesterberg airbase. ‘With this tool, policymakers can see all the dilemmas at this site at a glance. Because when you’re talking about PFAS, for example, it’s not just about soil contamination, but also about the energy transition and groundwater quality,’ says Sander.
Article by Willem Claassen
Contact information
- Organizational unit
- Nijmegen School of Management, Institute for Management Research
- About person
- Prof. S.V. Meijerink (Sander)