This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Dr. Erik Slobbe
Wageningen University & Research

Basic Info

Basic Info is private.

Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Adaptation
0 Policy Analysis
0 Water
0 Information Service
0 Agricultural & Rural Development

Fingerprints

Water
Adaptation

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

Wageningen University Postbus 47 6700AA Wageningen Netherlands

Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2021 in Drinking Water Engineering and Science
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Developments such as climate change and a growing demand for drinking water threaten the sustainability of drinking water supply worldwide. To deal with this threat, adaptation of drinking water supply systems is imperative, not only on a global and national scale but particularly on a local scale. This investigation sought to establish characteristics that describe the sustainability of local drinking water supply. The hypothesis of this research was that sustainability characteristics depend on the context that is analysed, and therefore, a variety of cases must be analysed to reach a better understanding of the sustainability of drinking water supply in the Netherlands. Therefore, three divergent cases on drinking water supply in the Netherlands were analysed. One case related to a short-term development (2018 summer drought), and two concerned long-term phenomena (changes in water quality and growth in drinking water demand). We used an integrated systems approach, describing the local drinking water supply system in terms of hydrological, technical, and socio-economic characteristics that determine the sustainability of a local drinking water supply system. To gain a perspective on the case study findings that are broader than the Dutch context, the sustainability aspects identified were paired with global aspects concerning sustainable drinking water supply. This resulted in the following set of hydrological, technical, and socio-economic sustainability characteristics: (1) water quality, water resource availability, and impact of drinking water abstraction; (2) reliability and resilience of the technical system and energy use and environmental impact; (3) drinking water availability, water governance, and land and water use. Elaboration of these sustainability characteristics and criteria into a sustainability assessment can provide information on the challenges and trade-offs inherent in the sustainable development and management of a local drinking water supply system.

ACS Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg; Erik Van Slobbe; Adriaan J. Teuling; Remko Uijlenhoet; Petra Hellegers. Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply in the Netherlands. Drinking Water Engineering and Science 2021, 14, 1 -43.

AMA Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg, Erik Van Slobbe, Adriaan J. Teuling, Remko Uijlenhoet, Petra Hellegers. Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply in the Netherlands. Drinking Water Engineering and Science. 2021; 14 (1):1-43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg; Erik Van Slobbe; Adriaan J. Teuling; Remko Uijlenhoet; Petra Hellegers. 2021. "Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply in the Netherlands." Drinking Water Engineering and Science 14, no. 1: 1-43.

Journal article
Published: 29 September 2020 in Atmosphere
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Skillful weather and seasonal predictions have considerable socio-economic potential and could provide meaningful information to farmers and decision-makers towards agricultural planning and decision-making. Peri-urban farmers in the Lower Ganges Delta need skillful forecast information to deal with increased hydroclimatic variability. In the current study, verification of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ System 5 (ECMWF SEAS5) seasonal prediction system is performed against ground observations for the Lower Ganges Delta using three skills assessment metrics. Additionally, meteoblue hindcasts are verified for Khulna station according to the peri-urban farmers’ needs and an assessment of onset/offset dates of rainy season is also conducted using the same ground observations. The results indicated that the skill of both examined products is limited during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods, especially in the west side of the Bay of Bengal. However, during the dry winter season, skill is high, which could lead to potential agricultural benefits concerning irrigation planning. Interannual variability and trend indicated that onset dates have become later and that the length of the rainy season reduced. This could increase the pressure on the already challenging situation the farmers are experiencing, in relation to hydro-climatic variability.

ACS Style

Spyridon Paparrizos; Wouter Smolenaars; Talardia Gbangou; Erik Slobbe; Fulco Ludwig. Verification of Weather and Seasonal Forecast Information Concerning the Peri-Urban Farmers’ Needs in the Lower Ganges Delta in Bangladesh. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 1041 .

AMA Style

Spyridon Paparrizos, Wouter Smolenaars, Talardia Gbangou, Erik Slobbe, Fulco Ludwig. Verification of Weather and Seasonal Forecast Information Concerning the Peri-Urban Farmers’ Needs in the Lower Ganges Delta in Bangladesh. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (10):1041.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Spyridon Paparrizos; Wouter Smolenaars; Talardia Gbangou; Erik Slobbe; Fulco Ludwig. 2020. "Verification of Weather and Seasonal Forecast Information Concerning the Peri-Urban Farmers’ Needs in the Lower Ganges Delta in Bangladesh." Atmosphere 11, no. 10: 1041.

Journal article
Published: 25 August 2020 in Atmosphere
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Many West African farmers are struggling to cope with changing weather and climatic conditions. This situation limits farmers’ ability to make optimal decisions for food and income security. Developing more useful and accessible weather and climate information services (WCIS) can help small-scale farmers improve their adaptive capacity. The literature suggests that such WCIS can be achieved if forecast information is produced jointly by farmers and scientists. To test this hypothesis and derive design requirements for effective WCIS, we evaluated the outcomes of an experimental coproduction of weather forecasts in Ada, Ghana. The experiment involved a user-driven design and testing of information and communications technology (ICT)-based digital (smartphones and apps) and rainfall monitoring tools by 22 farmers. They collected data and received weather forecasts during the 2018/2019 study period. The results showed a positive evaluation of the intervention, expressed by the level of engagement, the increase in usability of the tools and understanding of forecast uncertainty, outreach capacity with other farmers, and improved daily farming decisions. The success of the intervention was attributed to the iterative design process, as well as the training, monitoring, and technical support provided. We conclude that the application of modern technology in a coproduction process with targeted training and monitoring can improve smallholder farmers’ access to and use of weather and climate forecast information.

ACS Style

Talardia Gbangou; Rebecca Sarku; Erik Van Slobbe; Fulco Ludwig; Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic; Spyridon Paparrizos. Coproducing Weather Forecast Information with and for Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Evaluation and Design Principles. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 902 .

AMA Style

Talardia Gbangou, Rebecca Sarku, Erik Van Slobbe, Fulco Ludwig, Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic, Spyridon Paparrizos. Coproducing Weather Forecast Information with and for Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Evaluation and Design Principles. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (9):902.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Talardia Gbangou; Rebecca Sarku; Erik Van Slobbe; Fulco Ludwig; Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic; Spyridon Paparrizos. 2020. "Coproducing Weather Forecast Information with and for Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Evaluation and Design Principles." Atmosphere 11, no. 9: 902.

Preprint content
Published: 24 March 2020
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Developments such as climate change and growing demand for drinking water threaten the sustainability of drinking water supply worldwide. To deal with this threat, adaptation of drinking water supply systems is imperative, not only on a global and national scale, but particularly on a local scale. This investigation sought to establish characteristics that describe the sustainability of local drinking water supply. We use an integrated systems approach, describing the local drinking water supply system in terms of hydrological, technical and socio-economic characteristics that determine the sustainability of a local drinking water supply system. Three cases on drinking water supply in the Netherlands are analysed. One case relates to a short-term development, that is the 2018 summer drought, and two concern long-term phenomena, that is, changes in water quality and growth in drinking water demand. The approach taken recognises that next to extreme weather events, socio-economic developments will be among the main drivers of changes in drinking water supply. Effects of pressures associated with, for example, population growth, industrial developments and land use changes, could result in limited water resource availability, deteriorated groundwater quality and growing water demand. To gain a perspective on the case study findings broader than the Dutch context, the sustainability issues identified were paired with global issues concerning sustainable drinking water supply. This resulted in a proposed set of generally applicable sustainability characteristics, each divided into five criteria describing the hydrological, technical and socio-economic sustainability of a local drinking water supply system. Elaboration of these sustainability characteristics and criteria into a sustainability assessment can provide information on the challenges and trade-offs inherent in the sustainable development and management of a local drinking water supply system.

ACS Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg; Erik Van Slobbe; Adriaan J. Teuling; Remko Uijlenhoet; Petra Hellegers. Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply. 2020, 1 -49.

AMA Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg, Erik Van Slobbe, Adriaan J. Teuling, Remko Uijlenhoet, Petra Hellegers. Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply. . 2020; ():1-49.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jolijn Van Engelenburg; Erik Van Slobbe; Adriaan J. Teuling; Remko Uijlenhoet; Petra Hellegers. 2020. "Sustainability characteristics of drinking water supply." , no. : 1-49.

Articles
Published: 28 August 2019 in African Geographical Review
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Rice farmers in the Kumbungu District in Northern Ghana interact with information systems. Of interest here is the degree to which knowledge derived from such interaction is actionable. The paper addresses the overall question: what information systems are currently providing agricultural information to rice farmers, and to what extent does this result in actionable knowledge creation? Findings revealed that Farmer-to-Farmer systems contribute most to actionable knowledge creation. We conclude that systems integration and local actor participation are essential for actionable knowledge creation in information systems.

ACS Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer. Information systems and actionable knowledge creation in rice-farming systems in Northern Ghana. African Geographical Review 2019, 39, 144 -161.

AMA Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye, Art Dewulf, Erik van Slobbe, Katrien Termeer. Information systems and actionable knowledge creation in rice-farming systems in Northern Ghana. African Geographical Review. 2019; 39 (2):144-161.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer. 2019. "Information systems and actionable knowledge creation in rice-farming systems in Northern Ghana." African Geographical Review 39, no. 2: 144-161.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2019 in Climate Services
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Reliable information on onset of the rainy season is important for local agriculture planning in Ghana. We examine the (i) trend and variability of onset in local observations to better understand the need for onset forecast information and (ii) performance of ECMWF System 4 seasonal climate forecast in reproducing this variability and discriminating tercile categories of onset dates across Ghana. The analyses focused on two pilots locations of interest among the fourteen synoptic stations studied, namely Ada and Tamale located in the coastal savanna and in northern Ghana. Two different onset date definitions were tested to suite with uncorrected and bias-corrected forecasts in order to test the predictability. The definitions were tailored to suit with forecast start dates, local climate data availability and cropping calendar. Results show a significant decreasing trend in historical onset dates towards more recent times (i.e 1986–2010) at Tamale station. Also, historical onset dates exhibit a significant increasing variability towards more recent time at Ada station. System 4 shows some ability for reproducing local onset variability with significant correlational relationship between forecasted and observed onset dates at some locations including Ada station. The forecasting system also has significant skill in predicting early and late onset dates categories (i.e H-K score > 0) at the pilot stations. In conclusion, the use of onset agro-meteorological index, based on System 4 as climate service in Ghana, has a potential value for decision making when considering categorical based forecasts.

ACS Style

Talardia Gbangou; Fulco Ludwig; Erik van Slobbe; Long Hoang; Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic. Seasonal variability and predictability of agro-meteorological indices: Tailoring onset of rainy season estimation to meet farmers’ needs in Ghana. Climate Services 2019, 14, 19 -30.

AMA Style

Talardia Gbangou, Fulco Ludwig, Erik van Slobbe, Long Hoang, Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic. Seasonal variability and predictability of agro-meteorological indices: Tailoring onset of rainy season estimation to meet farmers’ needs in Ghana. Climate Services. 2019; 14 ():19-30.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Talardia Gbangou; Fulco Ludwig; Erik van Slobbe; Long Hoang; Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic. 2019. "Seasonal variability and predictability of agro-meteorological indices: Tailoring onset of rainy season estimation to meet farmers’ needs in Ghana." Climate Services 14, no. : 19-30.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2019 in Ecology and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Block, D. de, P. H. Feindt, and E. van Slobbe. 2019. Shaping conditions for entrepreneurship in climate change adaptation: a case study of an emerging governance arrangement in the Netherlands. Ecology and Society 24(1):19. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10310-240119

ACS Style

Debora De Block; Peter H. Feindt; Erik Van Slobbe. Shaping conditions for entrepreneurship in climate change adaptation: a case study of an emerging governance arrangement in the Netherlands. Ecology and Society 2019, 24, 1 .

AMA Style

Debora De Block, Peter H. Feindt, Erik Van Slobbe. Shaping conditions for entrepreneurship in climate change adaptation: a case study of an emerging governance arrangement in the Netherlands. Ecology and Society. 2019; 24 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Debora De Block; Peter H. Feindt; Erik Van Slobbe. 2019. "Shaping conditions for entrepreneurship in climate change adaptation: a case study of an emerging governance arrangement in the Netherlands." Ecology and Society 24, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 26 October 2018 in Environmental Science & Policy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This paper analyses how scientists, policy makers and water users engage with scientific knowledge and uncertainties during a lengthy and complex decision-making process (2000–2014) about water quality, freshwater resources and climate adaptation in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt estuaries. The research zooms in on lake Volkerak-Zoom. Interviews confirm that ‘negotiated knowledge’, shaped by the agricultural sector, NGO’s and water managers can lead to strategies to improve water quality problems. One such a strategy, based on negotiated knowledge, is to create an inlet to allow limited tides and inflow of saline waters in Lake Volkerak-Zoom. Meanwhile, during negotiations, monitoring showed an autonomous decline in the annually returning algal blooms, leading to new uncertainties and disrupting the negotiations. At another negotiation arena, water users and policy makers repeatedly disputed scientific assessments about costs and benefits regarding additional freshwater supply for agriculture and the knowledge underlying proposed decisions was still considered uncertain in 2014. Several strategies have been observed to deal with uncertainties in decision making, such as deconstruction of certainties, creation of deadlines for decisions and selection of preferred solutions based upon the ‘No-regret principle’. The risk of a lengthy decision making process can be reduced when the responsible authorities recognize, acknowledge and give an equal role to these behavioural strategies to address uncertainties. Tailor-made strategies are needed to make knowledge use more efficient, for example, joint-fact-finding (in case of disputed knowledge and ambiguity), additional research and monitoring (in case of epistemic uncertainty) or commissioning research whereby temporarily a protected environment is created to allow research without political interference (in case of ontic/structural uncertainty).

ACS Style

J.A. Veraart; J.E.M. Klostermann; E.J.J. van Slobbe; P. Kabat. Scientific knowledge use and addressing uncertainties about climate change and ecosystem functioning in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt estuaries. Environmental Science & Policy 2018, 90, 148 -160.

AMA Style

J.A. Veraart, J.E.M. Klostermann, E.J.J. van Slobbe, P. Kabat. Scientific knowledge use and addressing uncertainties about climate change and ecosystem functioning in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt estuaries. Environmental Science & Policy. 2018; 90 ():148-160.

Chicago/Turabian Style

J.A. Veraart; J.E.M. Klostermann; E.J.J. van Slobbe; P. Kabat. 2018. "Scientific knowledge use and addressing uncertainties about climate change and ecosystem functioning in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt estuaries." Environmental Science & Policy 90, no. : 148-160.

Journal article
Published: 21 September 2018 in NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Hydro-climatic information has a potential to improve agricultural productivity under climate variability. Recent developments in information sharing platforms (Environmental Virtual Observatories, EVOs) could make information provisioning more actionable. Here we present the results of a diagnostic study for the development of a hydro-climatic EVO that enables rice farmers in Northern Ghana to deal with climate variability and water shortage. The hydro-climatic EVO aims to combine data from scientific and indigenous forecast systems, facilitating information exchange using two-way interaction with stakeholders to co-produce knowledge. Data was collected through informal interviews with field practitioners, through focus group discussions with farmers and content analysis of documents. Results show that both the biophysical and socio-institutional circumstances need be taken into account for the development of the EVO. Existing governance and information exchange arrangements and lack of collaboration between actors were found to limit current hydro-climatic information flow, interpretation, and use. Our study reveals existing models of information exchange and their limitations in the study area. We discuss the proposed design of a hydro-climatic EVO from a responsible innovation perspective, considering possible future eventualities in a process that aims to be anticipatory, inclusive, reflexive and responsive. We conclude that such a hydro-climatic EVO has a potential to contribute to rice farmers’ adaptive decision-making in Northern Ghana, but there are challenges that need to be considered. The diagnostic study has helped to refine these challenges and offers concrete suggestions to improve both the design and implementation of the proposed platform in a responsible way.

ACS Style

Emmanuel Nyadzi; Andy B. Nyamekye; Saskia Werners; Robbert Biesbroek; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Hoang P. Long; Catrien J.A.M. Termeer; Fulco Ludwig. Diagnosing the potential of hydro-climatic information services to support rice farming in northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 2018, 86-87, 51 -63.

AMA Style

Emmanuel Nyadzi, Andy B. Nyamekye, Saskia Werners, Robbert Biesbroek, Art Dewulf, Erik van Slobbe, Hoang P. Long, Catrien J.A.M. Termeer, Fulco Ludwig. Diagnosing the potential of hydro-climatic information services to support rice farming in northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. 2018; 86-87 ():51-63.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emmanuel Nyadzi; Andy B. Nyamekye; Saskia Werners; Robbert Biesbroek; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Hoang P. Long; Catrien J.A.M. Termeer; Fulco Ludwig. 2018. "Diagnosing the potential of hydro-climatic information services to support rice farming in northern Ghana." NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 86-87, no. : 51-63.

Withdrawal
Published: 01 August 2018 in NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Climate variability has consequences on water availability in rice farming systems. In Ghana, rice farmers in the Northern Savannah are amongst the most vulnerable to long periods of drought and erratic rainfall conditions. Within the Kumbungu district, farmers engaged in both rain-fed and irrigated rice farming are no exception. Coping with uncertain water availability conditions requires adaptive decision-making for sustained productivity in rice cropping. From an adaptive governance perspective, the extent to which formal and traditional governance arrangements enable adaptive decisions amongst rice farmers remains a key question. Using an exploratory research design, the study investigates three key questions; what water-dependent decisions rice farmers take and how these are adaptive to changing water availability conditions; what formal and informal governance arrangements rice cropping decisions are embedded in; and how existing governance arrangements enable or constrain adaptive decision-making. Rice farmers in twelve communities around the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme in the Kumbungu District in the Northern region were engaged through individual interviews and focus group discussions. The study reveals that farmers take six major water-dependent decisions throughout the cropping season; decision to or not to plant rice, land preparation, planting, weed control, fertilizer application and harvesting. Farmer decisions are most adaptive to water availability conditions during planting and fertilizer application. Both formal and traditional governance arrangements influence the extent to which farmers are able to adapt to changes in water availability conditions. The paper also reflects on the potential of hydro-climatic information and the place of Environmental Virtual Observatories (EVOs) in adaptive governance and decision-making.

ACS Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer; Cristina Pinto. WITHDRAWN: Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 2018, 100272 .

AMA Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye, Art Dewulf, Erik van Slobbe, Katrien Termeer, Cristina Pinto. WITHDRAWN: Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. 2018; ():100272.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer; Cristina Pinto. 2018. "WITHDRAWN: Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana." NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences , no. : 100272.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2018 in NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Climate variability has consequences on water availability in rice farming systems. In Ghana, rice farmers in the Northern Savannah are amongst the most vulnerable to long periods of drought and erratic rainfall conditions. Within the Kumbungu district, farmers engaged in both rain-fed and irrigated rice farming are no exception. Coping with uncertain water availability conditions requires adaptive decision-making for sustained productivity in rice cropping. From an adaptive governance perspective, the extent to which formal and traditional governance arrangements enable adaptive decisions amongst rice farmers remains a key question. Using an exploratory research design, the study investigates three key questions; what water-dependent decisions rice farmers take and how these are adaptive to changing water availability conditions; what formal and informal governance arrangements rice cropping decisions are embedded in; and how existing governance arrangements enable or constrain adaptive decision-making. Rice farmers in twelve communities around the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme in the Kumbungu District in the Northern region were engaged through individual interviews and focus group discussions. The study reveals that farmers take six major water-dependent decisions throughout the cropping season; decision to or not to plant rice, land preparation, planting, weed control, fertilizer application and harvesting. Farmer decisions are most adaptive to water availability conditions during planting and fertilizer application. Both formal and traditional governance arrangements influence the extent to which farmers are able to adapt to changes in water availability conditions. The paper also reflects on the potential of hydro-climatic information and the place of Environmental Virtual Observatories (EVOs) in adaptive governance and decision-making.

ACS Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik Van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer; Cristina Pinto. Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 2018, 86-87, 39 -50.

AMA Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye, Art Dewulf, Erik Van Slobbe, Katrien Termeer, Cristina Pinto. Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. 2018; 86-87 ():39-50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andy Bonaventure Nyamekye; Art Dewulf; Erik Van Slobbe; Katrien Termeer; Cristina Pinto. 2018. "Governance arrangements and adaptive decision-making in rice farming systems in Northern Ghana." NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 86-87, no. : 39-50.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2016 in Ecological Engineering
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Compared to traditional hard engineering, nature-based flood protection can be more cost effective, use up less raw materials, increase system adaptability and present opportunities to improve ecosystem functioning. However, high flood safety standards cause the need to combine nature-based structures with traditional civil engineered structures. This increases complexity assessing when and how ecological and engineering objectives of such flood protection systems are achieved. This study classifies the degree to which coastal designs are nature based using criteria for ecosystem-based management (EBM). For the engineering criterion the distinction between main and supporting structures is introduced. To evaluate the ecological criterion five design concepts have been introduced, ranging from completely engineered to completely nature-based. The method results in an EBM-ranking of the coast, showing where a particular flood protection design stands on the range between completely engineered (low EBM-rank) and nature-based (high EBM-rank). It thus facilitates comparison of different flood protection systems. The method was the applied on the North-Sea coast of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The results show that combinations of civil-engineered and nature-based structures are widely applied. However, due to the overall low contribution to flood protection by the nature-based structures, about 85% of the coast is dominated by engineered structures. The majority of these stretches is located in relatively sheltered areas. Improving the flood protection capacity of the nature based structures in these areas is hard to achieve. Therefore, application of more nature-based design concepts on the main structures is the most promising way to improve the EBM-rank of many flood protection systems.

ACS Style

A. van der Nat; P. Vellinga; R. Leemans; E. van Slobbe. Ranking coastal flood protection designs from engineered to nature-based. Ecological Engineering 2016, 87, 80 -90.

AMA Style

A. van der Nat, P. Vellinga, R. Leemans, E. van Slobbe. Ranking coastal flood protection designs from engineered to nature-based. Ecological Engineering. 2016; 87 ():80-90.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. van der Nat; P. Vellinga; R. Leemans; E. van Slobbe. 2016. "Ranking coastal flood protection designs from engineered to nature-based." Ecological Engineering 87, no. : 80-90.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2016 in Environmental Science & Policy
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Daniel Puente-Rodríguez; Erik Van Slobbe; Iris A.C. Al; D.E. (Danny) Lindenbergh. Knowledge co-production in practice: Enabling environmental management systems for ports through participatory research in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Environmental Science & Policy 2016, 55, 456 -466.

AMA Style

Daniel Puente-Rodríguez, Erik Van Slobbe, Iris A.C. Al, D.E. (Danny) Lindenbergh. Knowledge co-production in practice: Enabling environmental management systems for ports through participatory research in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Environmental Science & Policy. 2016; 55 ():456-466.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Puente-Rodríguez; Erik Van Slobbe; Iris A.C. Al; D.E. (Danny) Lindenbergh. 2016. "Knowledge co-production in practice: Enabling environmental management systems for ports through participatory research in the Dutch Wadden Sea." Environmental Science & Policy 55, no. : 456-466.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2015 in Ecology and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Saskia Elisabeth Werners; Erik Van Slobbe; Tobias Bölscher; Albert Oost; Stefan Pfenninger; Giacomo Trombi; Marco Bindi; Marco Moriondo. Turning points in climate change adapatation. Ecology and Society 2015, 20, 1 .

AMA Style

Saskia Elisabeth Werners, Erik Van Slobbe, Tobias Bölscher, Albert Oost, Stefan Pfenninger, Giacomo Trombi, Marco Bindi, Marco Moriondo. Turning points in climate change adapatation. Ecology and Society. 2015; 20 (4):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saskia Elisabeth Werners; Erik Van Slobbe; Tobias Bölscher; Albert Oost; Stefan Pfenninger; Giacomo Trombi; Marco Bindi; Marco Moriondo. 2015. "Turning points in climate change adapatation." Ecology and Society 20, no. 4: 1.

Journal article
Published: 10 October 2014 in Journal of Hydrology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was introduced in 1980s to better optimise water uses between different water demanding sectors. However, since it was introduced water systems have become more complicated due to changes in the global water cycle as a result of climate change. The realization that climate change will have a significant impact on water availability and flood risks has driven research and policy making on adaptation. This paper discusses the main similarities and differences between climate change adaptation and IWRM. The main difference between the two is the focus on current and historic issues of IWRM compared to the (long-term) future focus of adaptation. One of the main problems of implementing climate change adaptation is the large uncertainties in future projections. Two completely different approaches to adaptation have been developed in response to these large uncertainties. A top-down approach based on large scale biophysical impacts analyses focussing on quantifying and minimizing uncertainty by using a large range of scenarios and different climate and impact models. The main problem with this approach is the propagation of uncertainties within the modelling chain. The opposite is the bottom up approach which basically ignores uncertainty. It focusses on reducing vulnerabilities, often at local scale, by developing resilient water systems. Both these approaches however are unsuitable for integrating into water management. The bottom up approach focuses too much on socio-economic vulnerability and too little on developing (technical) solutions. The top-down approach often results in an “explosion” of uncertainty and therefore complicates decision making. A more promising direction of adaptation would be a risk based approach. Future research should further develop and test an approach which starts with developing adaptation strategies based on current and future risks. These strategies should then be evaluated using a range of future scenarios in order to develop robust adaptation measures and strategies.

ACS Style

Fulco Ludwig; Erik van Slobbe; Wim Cofino. Climate change adaptation and Integrated Water Resource Management in the water sector. Journal of Hydrology 2014, 518, 235 -242.

AMA Style

Fulco Ludwig, Erik van Slobbe, Wim Cofino. Climate change adaptation and Integrated Water Resource Management in the water sector. Journal of Hydrology. 2014; 518 ():235-242.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fulco Ludwig; Erik van Slobbe; Wim Cofino. 2014. "Climate change adaptation and Integrated Water Resource Management in the water sector." Journal of Hydrology 518, no. : 235-242.

Journal article
Published: 11 September 2014 in Regional Environmental Change
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Climate studies show high likelihood of changing hydrological regimes in European rivers. Concerned authorities increasingly question the sustainability of current river management strategies. The aim of this paper is to apply the adaptation turning point (ATP) approach and demonstrates its potential for analysing turning points in river management strategies as a method to support authorities in decisions on adaptation to climate change. Two management strategies in the Rhine River basin were selected as case studies: (1) reintroduction of a sustainable population of Atlantic salmon and (2) inland shipping in relation to water depth variability. By applying the turning point approach, we search for answers to the following questions: when will these management strategies fail due to climate change impacts on the river’s hydrology? What adaptation measures exist to delay or avoid failure? The identification of adaption turning points is not easy, due to large scenario and model uncertainties in transient future projections of low-flow discharges and water temperatures. But the case studies demonstrate that the ATP approach is salient from a decision-maker’s perspective, because it addresses the timing of possible failure of current management strategies. Analysis of results allows policy makers to assess risks and the urgency for action and provides them with a time horizon for adaptation planning. It is also a valuable first step in the application of methods of formal appraisal of adaptation options when flexibility in planning is required.

ACS Style

Erik Van Slobbe; Saskia E. Werners; Marcela Riquelme-Solar; Tobias Bölscher; Michelle T. H. Van Vliet. The future of the Rhine: stranded ships and no more salmon? Regional Environmental Change 2014, 16, 31 -41.

AMA Style

Erik Van Slobbe, Saskia E. Werners, Marcela Riquelme-Solar, Tobias Bölscher, Michelle T. H. Van Vliet. The future of the Rhine: stranded ships and no more salmon? Regional Environmental Change. 2014; 16 (1):31-41.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Erik Van Slobbe; Saskia E. Werners; Marcela Riquelme-Solar; Tobias Bölscher; Michelle T. H. Van Vliet. 2014. "The future of the Rhine: stranded ships and no more salmon?" Regional Environmental Change 16, no. 1: 31-41.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2014 in Journal of Water and Climate Change
Reads 0
Downloads 0

It is expected that climate change will affect important natural inland waterways in Europe, among others, the Rhine River. Inland waterway transport is one of the main economic activities developed in the Rhine, and the effects of climate change on this activity are of great concern for skippers, the industry and policy-makers. This paper aims to identify whether longer and more frequent dry periods projected in the Rhine River will turn into a physical limitation that prevent inland waterway transport companies from guaranteeing reliable transportation to their customers, and – if so – when such a situation might take place. Based on the adaptation turning point approach, we propose a four step method to identify critical time periods for future climate change adaptation. According to our results, the inland waterway transport sector will start facing insurmountable problems associated with low water levels within the time span 2081–2095. The adaptation turning point approach provides analysts with a dynamic appraisal method that allows options to be ranked with timing of period of effectiveness and the time span needed for implementation as criteria. This increases flexibility of planning and allows for uncertainty about changing future conditions.

ACS Style

M. Riquelme-Solar; E. Van Slobbe; Saskia Werners. Adaptation turning points on inland waterway transport in the Rhine River. Journal of Water and Climate Change 2014, 6, 670 -682.

AMA Style

M. Riquelme-Solar, E. Van Slobbe, Saskia Werners. Adaptation turning points on inland waterway transport in the Rhine River. Journal of Water and Climate Change. 2014; 6 (4):670-682.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Riquelme-Solar; E. Van Slobbe; Saskia Werners. 2014. "Adaptation turning points on inland waterway transport in the Rhine River." Journal of Water and Climate Change 6, no. 4: 670-682.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2013 in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

We review four bodies of literature that suggest that thresholds, tipping and turning points are important focal points for sustainability under climate change that can help bridge the science–policy interface. For decision-makers a critical threshold is reached, the moment that climate change renders policy untenable and alternative strategies must be considered. A focus on thresholds and tipping points allows for a salient and credible dialogue between decision-makers and scientists about the amount of acceptable change, when unacceptable conditions could occur, how likely these conditions are and what adaptation pathways to consider. Uncertainty can be communicated as the time range in which a critical threshold is likely to be exceede

ACS Style

Saskia Werners; Stefan Pfenninger; Erik van Slobbe; Marjolijn Haasnoot; Jan Kwakkel; Rob Swart. Thresholds, tipping and turning points for sustainability under climate change. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 2013, 5, 334 -340.

AMA Style

Saskia Werners, Stefan Pfenninger, Erik van Slobbe, Marjolijn Haasnoot, Jan Kwakkel, Rob Swart. Thresholds, tipping and turning points for sustainability under climate change. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 2013; 5 (3-4):334-340.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saskia Werners; Stefan Pfenninger; Erik van Slobbe; Marjolijn Haasnoot; Jan Kwakkel; Rob Swart. 2013. "Thresholds, tipping and turning points for sustainability under climate change." Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 5, no. 3-4: 334-340.

Journal article
Published: 24 May 2013 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Bringing a sustainable population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) back into the Rhine, after the species became extinct in the 1950s, is an important environmental ambition with efforts made both by governments and civil society. Our analysis finds a significant risk of failure of salmon reintroduction because of projected increases in water temperatures in a changing climate. This suggests a need to rethink the current salmon reintroduction ambitions or to start developing adaptive action. The paper shows that the moment at which salmon reintroduction may fail due to climate change can only be approximated because of inherent uncertainties in the interaction between salmon and its environment. The added value of the assessment presented in this paper is that it provides researchers with a set of questions that are useful from a policy perspective (by focusing on the feasibility of a concrete policy ambition under climate change). Thus, it offers opportunities to supply policy makers with practical insight in the relevance of climate change.

ACS Style

Tobias Bölscher; Erik Van Slobbe; Michelle T.H. Van Vliet; Saskia E. Werners. Adaptation Turning Points in River Restoration? The Rhine Salmon Case. Sustainability 2013, 5, 2288 -2304.

AMA Style

Tobias Bölscher, Erik Van Slobbe, Michelle T.H. Van Vliet, Saskia E. Werners. Adaptation Turning Points in River Restoration? The Rhine Salmon Case. Sustainability. 2013; 5 (6):2288-2304.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tobias Bölscher; Erik Van Slobbe; Michelle T.H. Van Vliet; Saskia E. Werners. 2013. "Adaptation Turning Points in River Restoration? The Rhine Salmon Case." Sustainability 5, no. 6: 2288-2304.

Journal article
Published: 06 March 2013 in Natural Hazards
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Low-lying, densely populated coastal areas worldwide are under threat, requiring coastal managers to develop new strategies to cope with land subsidence, sea-level rise and the increasing risk of storm-surge-induced floods. Traditional engineering approaches optimizing for safety are often suboptimal with respect to other functions and are neither resilient nor sustainable. Densely populated deltas in particular need more resilient solutions that are robust, sustainable, adaptable, multifunctional and yet economically feasible. Innovative concepts such as ‘Building with Nature’ provide a basis for coastal protection strategies that are able to follow gradual changes in climate and other environmental conditions, while maintaining flood safety, ecological values and socio-economic functions. This paper presents a conceptual framework for Building with Nature that is used to evaluate coastal protection strategies, based on a case study of the Holland coast in the Netherlands. The added value and the limitations of these strategies are discussed.

ACS Style

E. Van Slobbe; H. J. De Vriend; S. Aarninkhof; K. Lulofs; M. De Vries; P. Dircke. Building with Nature: in search of resilient storm surge protection strategies. Natural Hazards 2013, 66, 1461 -1480.

AMA Style

E. Van Slobbe, H. J. De Vriend, S. Aarninkhof, K. Lulofs, M. De Vries, P. Dircke. Building with Nature: in search of resilient storm surge protection strategies. Natural Hazards. 2013; 66 (3):1461-1480.

Chicago/Turabian Style

E. Van Slobbe; H. J. De Vriend; S. Aarninkhof; K. Lulofs; M. De Vries; P. Dircke. 2013. "Building with Nature: in search of resilient storm surge protection strategies." Natural Hazards 66, no. 3: 1461-1480.