NWO grant to Fleur Deken for a climate adaptation project aimed at strengthening Dutch infrastructure
Research fellow Fleur Deken (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) receives grant from the KIC partnership with Next Generation Infrastructures ‘Responsible Transformations,’ together with colleagues from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, TU Delft and The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
Fleur Deken is Professor of Strategy, Technology and Innovation at the University Research Chair and Vice-Dean of Research at the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
On this climate adaption project, aimed at strengthening Dutch infrastructure, Deken is partnering with crime researcher Elco Koks (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), organisational researcher Kathleen Stephenson (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Jasper Verschuur (TU Delft) and Anja Overdiek (The Hague University of Applied Sciences).
Together they are receiving €1.2 million from the KIC partnership with Next Generation Infrastructures ‘Responsible Transformations’. Their project is one of three to receive funding in this round.
Urgency for climate strategies
Society does not function without critical infrastructure systems. However, increasing interdependencies between these systems and the growing frequency of climate extremes, such as extreme rainfall events, droughts and heatwaves, have exposed significant vulnerabilities.
Addressing climate challenges
Together with Rijkswaterstaat, ProRail, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, Schiphol en Vervoersregio Amsterdam, their project Transformative Adaptation Strategies for Interdependent Critical Infrastructure (TASICI) aims to develop and implement innovative analytical models and intra- as well as inter-organisational frameworks that support coordinated, cross-sectoral responses to climate adaptation. By addressing three key gaps, understanding cascading risks, prioritising climate adaptation within resource constraints, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, TASICI seeks to provide infrastructure operators with actionable tools and strategies to address climate challenges.
The project emphasises a corridor approach, focusing on two critical case studies: the Greater Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, centred around Schiphol Airport, and the Dutch section of the Rhine-Alpine Rail Corridor. “Such a corridor approach provides a unique perspective as multiple infrastructure operators have to work collaboratively to assess systemic vulnerabilities and develop adaptation pathways”, says Jasper Verschuur (TU Delft).
Original source: NWO grant for climate adaptation project - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.