River Delta Development

The Living Dikes Living Lab group and the Deltaprogramme Riverine Area: Sustainable and Future Proof Solutions
group, carried out their respective workshops. Congratulations!! 🎉
Workshops are an essential aspect of the MRDD program! They are meant to deepen research projects by collecting information and gain insight into the problems being researched.

The first group aimed at collecting the perceptions stakeholders might have on Living Dikes, and how these influence the implementation and upscaling stage.
The second group tested out and collected the opinions of participants on the which, where and why Multiple Flow Channel concept or Longitudinal Dams/Groins should be utilized.

Integrating stakeholders opinions, perceptions and knowledge in the research processes is essential, as it sheds light on many issues and benefits that cannot be retained or fully understood solely by literature review.
Projects like these have wide scale effects on the landscape and on citizens’ lives. Involving and listening to all stakeholders during the project development is an essential for the project’s success.

On the 7th of May the MRDD first year students attended the VPA Conference at Van Hall Larenstein.
One group in particular, utilizing VPA in their living lab assignment, had the great opportunity to pitch their project to the conference attendees and gather valuable feedback.

The conference focused on the Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA) methodology, a film-based learning and engagement methodology that represents stakeholders and their stakes using filmed-narratives. This approach falls under Mediated Participation. This is an approach where stakeholders engage with decision-makers through the assistance of media tools, like filmed interviews. The aim is to facilitate inclusivity in decision making process by bypassing various barriers which hinders participation.

Opportunities like this conference offer students amazing ways to network, view how the theory they learn during the master course is applied on the field, while also gathering feedback and insight into the academic research environment.

Dear all,
We are pleased to invite you to our River Delta Development Symposium, organized by the 4th semester master students of the River Delta Development MSc program. This event will take place on Thursday, June 5th, from 15:00 to 17:00 at Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein – VHL University of Applied Sciences, Velp. If you are interested in taking part, let us know and we are happy to welcome you!

During the symposium, we will showcase our thesis research through interactive workshops, posters, and presentations. Each student will share their unique project and insights, highlighting the interdisciplinary and international nature of our work in river delta systems.

Some of the exciting topics include:

Analyzing and modeling environmental, biological, and human factors influencing harbor seal abundance through the food web in the Wadden Sea – Maryam Gholami

Facilitating expert knowledge exchange on cultural ecosystem services in Bahía de Cádiz and raising awareness about impacts on ports and shipping – Tilman Meyer-Clasen

Applying the Dutch “Room for the River” approach to flood-prone Piura, Peru: A stakeholder-based analysis of riverine zones – Suzan Langebeeke

Testing AI-enhanced serious games as tools for transformative change toward the Sustainable Development Goals – Carlo Weigel

Exploring scientific, political, and operational collaboration to improve coastal defense and safety in the Dutch Wadden Sea region – Elske Krabben

Investigating the value of collaborative modeling for multi-layer safety in the Alexander Polder – Harm van Barneveld

Progression of collaborative modelling in complex problem solving: insights from theories and deltas around the globe - MD RASEL PRODHANIA

In addition to the presentation of the 4th semester students' research, some of the 2nd semester students will also attend and present their research!

We would be honored by your presence and look forward to engaging with you during the event. Your participation and feedback would be greatly appreciated as we conclude our master's journey. If you are interested in participating please sent us a message! H

ope to see you on the 5th!