Defend or raise? Optimising flood risk reduction strategies

Flood risk reduction can be provided by interventions such as raising land or constructing flood defences. This paper introduces an approach to optimise the selection of risk reduction strategies. It expands existing economic optimization approaches for flood defences, by introducing (largely) analytical formulations to include the effects of...

A stochastic model approach for optimisation of lowland river restoration works

Over the course of centuries, river systems have been heavily trained for the purpose of safe discharge of water, sediment and ice, and improves navigation. Traditionally, dikes are used to be reinforced and heightened to protect countries from ever higher flood levels. Other types of solutions than technical engineering solutions, such as...

Analyzing collaborative governance through social network analysis: A case study of river management along the Waal river in The Netherlands

Until recently, governmental organizations played a dominant and decisive role in natural resource management. However, an increasing number of studies indicate that this dominant role is developing towards a more facilitating role as equal partner to improve efficiency and create a leaner state. This approach is characterized by complex...

The Politics of Resilience in the Dutch ‘Room for the River’-project

An increased focus on the concept of resilience in flood protection has led to the development of a comprehensive flood protection strategy in the Netherlands which stresses the need to provide ‘Room for the River’ rather than building dykes. But how can a resilient solution in flood protection be successfully implemented? Using insights from...

Water Law and Organization (Dutch version)

Lecture notes in DUTCH for course CIE5500, providing a detailed overview of Dutch and European water law concerning surface and groundwater, the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, water services, flood protection, spatial planning, nature protection, water management organizations (e.g. the water boards), financing and legal protection....