GENERAL INFORMATION

Want to get involved in sustainable delta development as student, researcher or practitioner? Join one of the DFL thematic working groups.

The thematic working groups are groups of 5-15 Master students, PhDs, postdoctoral researchers from different disciplines and (applied/vocational) universities that do research with a similar geographical focus. Groups meet every 4-6 weeks with coaches from public and private sector parties that have affinity with the theme and a relevant network.

The current thematic working groups and contact details can be found below. You can select a research topic from the description but maybe also propose a relevant project yourself. You may also join with an ongoing project.

The Urban Climate Adaptation group works on adaptation solutions for climate challenges that are particularly prominent in urban areas such as pluvial, fluvial flooding, drought and heat stress. Other challenges for urban areas such as densification, livability, biodiversity, inclusion are considered as well.

The group preferably consists of students and researchers from (applied) universities in Delft, Wageningen, Rotterdam and Amsterdam with backgrounds in engineering, design and policy. Case studies include Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam. These municipalities are involved as well together with water boards and consultancy companies working in the field of urban climate adaptation.

Any questions? Contact: Ellen Minkman (E.Minkman@tudelft.nl)

How and where to (re)build the Dutch delta, given the complex transitions and wicked problems of our time? This transdisciplinary group of researchers working in the domains of design, planning, governance, economics, finance, engineering, and methodology meets approximately once per month to exchange insights in response to this grand question. Led by the Resilient Delta Initiative – a project of TU Delft, Erasmus University, and Erasmus Medical Center – in close cooperation with societal partners working in the Greater Rotterdam area. Graduate students interested in thesis projects, research assistant positions, and other forms of collaboration are invited to join.

Any questions? Contact: Zac Taylor (z.j.taylor@tudelft.nl)

Climate change exacerbates both the frequency and severity of floods, storms, and droughts in deltaic areas, where the coastal, riverine and regional/urban water systems co-evolve and interact with spatial development patterns. This thematic working group focuses on improving the understanding of these systems and their interactions, including the urbanized landscape and infrastructure, under climate change. The focus is on the integrated and interdisciplinary approach to develop adaptive design interventions that span from territorial scenarios to local spatial measures; both for operational use (real time, early warning) and long-term planning, under deep uncertainty.

Any questions? Contact: Luca Iuorio (l.iuorio@tudelft.nl)

Unsustainable growth (urbanization) and climate change increase the urgency to radically change our current practice of delta management. There is still too much emphasis on short term solutions which constrains options to consider sustainable solutions on the long term. Moreover, in the coming decades, an opportunity for a ‘reset’ of the existing infrastructure is near as huge investments in this sector are foreseen in many deltas.  However, an integrated strategy, an appealing perspective on the ‘delta future’ and the knowledge to develop the pathways to a sustainable and inclusive delta, are lacking.

It is more important than ever to collectively build the knowledge needed to develop these pathways in which transformations will likely be necessary. Both require a design-based approach in which these different perspectives are recognised and joint new perspectives are explored, identified and visualised.

We therefore initiated an ambitious, inter-disciplinary and multi-annual project, which puts design and design-based research at the heart to deliver these outcomes. This project, Redesigning Deltas (RDD), also aims to build in parallel new partnerships and capacities within the Dutch delta community and of other deltas to foster implementation for instance by delivering an innovative educational ‘delta-design’ program.