The urgent need to address global warming and achieve the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement necessitates an energy transition in Europe, with offshore wind energy in the North Sea playing a vital role. Despite the complexity of the North Sea's offshore energy system, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive study of the entire system, especially the crucial transmission aspects connecting onshore and offshore systems. This master thesis addresses this research gap by applying an Extended Multi-Level Perspective (E-MLP) framework to the North Sea offshore energy system.

The study begins with an analysis of actors involved in the energy transition, utilizing methods like social network analysis (SNA), PESTLE analysis, and scenario analysis. The focus is on the Dutch and German electricity transmission system operator, specifically its department Grid Field Operations - Offshore (GFO-O), to understand how E-MLP can enhance comprehension of the complex and dynamic nature of the North Sea offshore energy system.

Through a mixed method approach, combining MLP, actor analysis, SNA, PESTLE analysis, and Socio-Technical Scenarios, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and applied to gain a holistic understanding of the system. The research reveals that the North Sea offshore energy system is heavily influenced by onshore developments, supply chain considerations, grid congestion, and demand flexibility. The use of artificial intelligence enables niche innovations, while the role of small nuclear reactors is limited. Offshore focuses on energy hubs, standardization, and wind park expansion, but moving further offshore increases vulnerability. The future role of hydrogen remains uncertain, and cybersecurity and multi-use of space are crucial factors.

The study offers recommendations for GFO-O to strengthen its position, attract digital talent, invest in AI capabilities, explore demand flexibility, and investigate green hydrogen production. Policymakers should prioritize multi-use of space and engage with the military to address security threats. Incentivizing demand flexibility at the consumer level can support renewable energy production and ease the offshore system's burden.

This research contributes to the field by applying the E-MLP framework to the North Sea offshore energy system, examining actor interactions, informal institutions, and providing valuable insights for scenario analysis. However, the study acknowledges potential limitations in data availability, interview perspectives, and social network analysis. Future research can delve into specific factors such as the offshore supply chain, explore heterogeneous analysis of the oil and gas sector, and apply E-MLP to other energy transition regimes, extending the study's impact and refining the framework's application.

In conclusion, this master thesis enhances the understanding of the North Sea offshore energy system and provides policy-relevant insights for inclusive policymaking, supporting Europe's energy transition efforts to combat global warming.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, responsible for major infrastructure projects in the Netherlands, is exploring methods to incorporate well-being in its project evaluations and designs. To address the limitations of expressing well-being in monetary terms, a new evaluation method called Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) has been developed. PVE engages citizens in policy decisions, mapping their values and concerns, and providing a more inclusive approach to decision-making. This research focuses on investigating the added value of the PVE when applied to national infrastructure projects, with a case study of the Lelylijn project, a proposed railway line connecting regions in the Netherlands. The research addresses three key areas: where the PVE can be applied in the project process and its perceived added value in the research phase, how policymakers experience the PVE, and how participants perceive their involvement in the PVE. Through interviews with policymakers and analysis of PVE responses, the study found that the PVE has the potential to incorporate public values into decision-making, enhance the quality of decisions, and promote accessibility and inclusivity. Policymakers perceive the PVE as valuable in understanding public opinion comprehensively and improving decision-making. Participants appreciate the PVE's accessibility and educational aspect but suggest improvements in question design and representation of diverse groups. In conclusion, this research highlights the potential benefits of using the PVE in national infrastructure projects, providing valuable insights into its impact on decision-making and public involvement. The study contributes to the growing emphasis on well-being in policy decisions and offers important considerations for the effective implementation of the PVE in future projects.

Ephemeral rivers are common hydrological features in Southern Africa where periods of up to 9 months occur, without significant rainfall. These rivers are important in the Kitui region of Kenya, where water shortage impedes rural and urban development. The seasonal rivers of Kitui provide suitable water for domestic, livestock and agricultural use, particularly small-scale irrigation. A majority of the population of Kitui county depends on the ephemeral river for water supply. In dry periods, water levels drop and water can only be found in scoop holes (holes dug in the riverbed). The water shortage is where NaBWIG, an abbreviation for Nature-based water infrastructures in Ethiopia and Kenya for #GlobalGoals (NaBWIG), focuses on. Its goal is to increase resilience through sustainable water supply with the use of stored water within ephemeral sand rivers (Karimi, 2018). This research is part of NaBWIG where, based on 2 months fieldwork trip to Kenya, an evaluation was done using Q-methodology. This study aimed to define which elements of water access are valued by people who use water from sand storage dams in two sub-regions in Kitui – Kenya. This research revealed the broad definition of access to water, specifically when zooming in to local sand dam utilization. Main elements that seem to be most important like distance, time, water quantity, water quality and also reliability of a water source. Other elements are also related to water access such as social capital, income and terrain. Results suggest that ‘one community’ does not exist in either of the regions. The results from the Q-method show different perspectives within both communities on both domestic and agricultural water use, with specifics of perspectives depending on whether one takes the respondents as a whole or analyses them per community. In both regions, comparable elements arise, but different groups appear too. These two ‘communities’ are diverse in perspectives and one must look at both regions with different ‘lenses’ as their position is different from each other. The researcher may force these people into groups, which then are called a community, but in reality, is still a group of people with different interests. The alignment of these different factor groups is important to ensure the community benefit the most of a sand dam structure, which does not stop after construction. This research aimed at creating a better understanding of the interplay of multiple factors regarding water access and provided a more thorough understanding of the dynamics of local communities and their appreciation of water access regarding sand storage dams.

The Gezira irrigation scheme, in Sudan, stretches out south of Khartoum between the Blue Nile and the While Nile Rivers. For more than 95 years since its establishment in 1925, the scheme has been a significant asset to Sudan’s economy. It is considered one of the oldest and largest schemes in the world being served by one management body using surface gravity irrigation from a single source. For many years, the system has performed with high efficiency and was considered a good model example, both locally and internationally. In the last few decades the scheme has deteriorated. The water productivity records show declining trends, while more water is being withdrawn from Sennar dam. Farmers are complaining about water shortages and some fields are not reached at all. Authorities state severe damages in the system’s infrastructure, with about 85% of the system’s hydraulic works being damaged. The performance of operation is well below the required efficiency. The sedimentation issue has always been present in the system, especially in the minor canals, but has been severe in recent years. As a result, farmers tend to interfere in the operation of the system, as they are not satisfied with the management authorities. Therefore, the scheme’s operation situations changed accordingly, shifting from the original design approach into new – often undesired – situations. There have been many studies carried in the Gezira Irrigation scheme, in order to understand the reasons behind this deterioration and find sustainable solutions. Starting from the causes of the sedimentation issue and maintenance works, generating new methods of calculating the crop water requirements using remote sensing, influence of farmers’ practices on field level, change of management and institutions throughout the history, and many others. Yet, there is no sensible change seen on the ground. The main objective of this thesis is contribute to the researches done in the Gezira scheme by providing an understanding of how the canalization system’s respond to various water demands strategies. In recent years, there has been a noticeable improvement in methods used to determine crop water requirements using remote sensing. Coping with these improvements, a main question rises, to what extent these remote sensing approaches could be implemented in large irrigation schemes, taking the Gezira scheme as a case study. Determining water requirements is one thing, delivering the water through the canal system could be something else. In order to answer the above question, we first need to analyze the system we are studying. This step was carried through analyzing the current, general, performance of the Gezira scheme and comparing it to the initial design characteristics of the scheme using the MASSCOTE framework (FAO). Using the outcomes of the MASSCOTE evaluation, the thesis proceeded by generating a computer model of the canalization system, taking a major and minor canal as a representation for the water distribution system, and testing different water demands scenarios. This step provided insights into the operation of the canalization system on the level of major and minor canals. It was found that, within the boundaries of our model, implementing new remote sensing methods is practicable, assuming water is readily available at the offtake of the major canal. This conclusion takes into consideration the lengths of the canals and their locations regarding the overall scheme and the carrying capacity of each canals.

Since coined in 2011, socio-hydrology studies have been dominated with mathematical models developed by mostly hydrologists, which often did not take social aspects into account so seriously. Some people argued that more attention into the social part of socio-hydrology should be given, because often the social aspects were too oversimplified. This thesis research tried to dig deeper into the social aspects of a socio-hydrology system. Keduang sub-basin was chosen to be the case study, as it has a sedimentation problem which has caused a huge operational problem of Gajah Mungkur dam, a multipurpose dam that mainly works as a flood control and hydropower plant in Solo river basin, the largest basin in Java Island of Indonesia.

This research used the case study research approach proposed by Yin (2013). Three different analysis were done to examine the system: stakeholder analysis to identify the relevant actors and their characteristics, historical events analysis to examine what the actors have done that were related to the sedimentation issue, and Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal and Ethical (STEEPLE) analysis, to investigate those each sectors as external factors that might influence the decision making of the related actors. To summarize the analysis, a conceptual model was created to describe the socio-hydrology system of Keduang sub-basin.

There are a total of 10 relevant actors in the system, which come from 3 different groups: government, society and external actors. The government consists of 7 government agencies, the society represents farmers, and the external factors consist of researchers and donators. Between these 3 groups of actors, there is a feedback loop connection between the government and the society, which implies that the government has created some programs based on the society characteristic. Meanwhile, the external actors only interact with the government towards coordination.

The human-water interactions are different between the government and society, the government has a negative feedback loop with the water system, which means the government reduce what occurs in the water system, for example the high sediment in the system influences the government to remove the sediment. Surprisingly, it is not the case for the society, as it has a positive feedback loop especially regarding high sediments. Once the river had high sediments, people started to throw more garbage there thinking it would not be back clean, which would make the river even worse.

The actions done by the government and society are not only influenced by the water system, but also other external factors. For the government, economic, socio-cultural and politic factors are very influential to their actions. On the other hand, economic and socio-cultural factors are very influential to the society actions. These external factors seem to be more influential than the water system itself for their actions towards the water system.

Qualitative socio-hydrology study is clearly different with the quantitative study. Qualitative focuses on the why and how of relations in the system. It can give a good understanding on how such relations occur in the system. Hence, qualitative study can complement the quantitative study so that the model for quantitative study will not be oversimplified and based on valid reasoning.

Begroeide vooroevers zijn er voor wie geen zin heeft in vervelende dijkverhoging, een kale kade zat is of wie een aquatisch ecosysteem wil versterken met buitendijkse terrestrische natuur – voor wie eigenlijk niet? Met zo’n aantrekkelijk concept is het verleidelijk om je rijk te rekenen, maar dat gebeurt niet in het NWO project BE-SAFE. Hoe reduceren planten golfenergie nou precies? Een voorproefje.@en