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Nature-based living labs combine the elements of nature-based solution design with a living lab context to address social and environmental resilience challenges. There is a need to deepen insights on the characteristics of the emergent phenomenon of nature-based living labs, with respect to their predecessors. Accordingly, the paper first develops an outline of how living labs evolved into nature-based living labs, informed by bibliometric analysis. Second, the unique characteristics of nature-based living labs are identified using a systematic literature review. Finally, the core characteristics of living labs are determined, and nature-based living labs are placed within this context. Initial living labs had a strong technological focus, which proliferated into diverse application domains and regions after the European Network of Living Labs was established and expanded. Urban living labs emerged as a significant multidisciplinary and geographically specific domain, while nature-based living labs are inherently sustainability-oriented and consider ecosystem processes, interactions, and natural materials. Next, the paper identifies nine characteristics of nature-based living labs, five of which are always present, namely: (i) real-life spatial context and multi-scale, (ii) innovation and learning, (iii) user-centric, (iv) multi-actor involvement and (v) sustainability-oriented multiple benefits. Then, the four core characteristics of living labs, the variation within these characteristics, and how these align with the characteristics of nature-based living labs are clarified. Finally, the need for research on living labs across application domains and regions is highlighted, so that the global applicability of these local, user-centric, innovative approaches can be established., Multi Actor Systems, Policy Analysis

A large sandy peninsula and beach were realized in Dutch coastal waters in the Sand Engine pilot project. In addition to the benefits for flood protection, the Sand Engine generates multiple other societal values. It provides a new type of landscape of uncommon size along the Holland coast where nature, culture, history and the future come together. In this article we discuss the added value of the Sand Engine for culture and the arts, its iconic value and the development of knowledge in diverse sciences, most notably morphology, archaeology and palaeontology, as well as its educational function. We explore how different governance modes can influence how the added value is generated and what type of societal value arises. We distinguish four different governance modes related to the level of control exercised by authorities: directive, co-creational, facilitatory and observational. Different modes can co-exist and may change over time. For the Sand Engine we find that the knowledge development was highly directed, archaeology and palaeontology were facilitated, while an observational mode was employed towards arts and culture. The study leads to the inference that when the physical and societal space is created, societal value-added initiatives emerge., Policy Analysis

Offshore wind farm development is a is a highly complex process. The societal and political pressure to implement is high while environmental responses and future developments in the global energy network are uncertain. Moreover, many interests in maritime space are at stake. The dependency on knowledge for decision-making is high, but the capacity to use knowledge is limited. In this paper we investigate the role of ecosystem knowledge in offshore wind farm planning and management. We have identified 4 types of research arenas: (1) government driven (e.g., monitoring programs) (2) subsidized research (national or EU), (3) industrial or PPS (Public-private partnerships), and (4) research by universities. This study considers the way in which knowledge from different arenas is or could be taken up and used in policy. We identify that particularly government-driven research (monitoring) is used in policymaking. The analysis of policy documents, in-depth expert interviews and focus groups reveals that the distance between knowledge developers and knowledge users may differentiate from purely transactional relations to co-production-relations. However, co-production is rare beyond the monitoring programs directly initiated by the government agencies., Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

The increasingly active role of stakeholders in the development of innovative nature-based solutions calls for appropriate instruments to support and realise added value from their involvement. In this paper we apply a newly developed instrument “Cooperation for Added Value” (Co-Add) to a study area on the Dutch coast. The instrument draws on participatory game theory and policy analysis to provide a theoretically sound structure for facilitating interactions aimed at identifying shared opportunities and potential coalitions for cooperation. The application in the case study Noard-Fryslân Bûtendyks affirmed that the Co-Add instrument systematically facilitated stakeholders in exploring potentially promising opportunities and gaining insight in the added value of engaging in diverse cooperations. Stakeholders came to understand which solutions were more achievable than others and what was needed to enable implementation in terms of collaboration, including the role of their own organization. Furthermore, social dilemmas in which a particular nature-based solution is attractive to a coalition of stakeholders but is not the most beneficial solution for a particular individual stakeholder, became clear. This represents a practical contribution to the range of participatory instruments that can be applied in societally challenging complex problems that require collaboration for their resolution., Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

Rapid urbanization of the coast, growing global trade, stakeholder emancipation and ongoing depletion of natural resources mean that ports can no longer operate and develop without acknowledging and incorporating societal and environmental considerations. Drawing primarily on first-hand experiences in South African ports, supplemented with learning taken from international literature, this paper proposes a conceptual change in the position of the natural environment in port development from that of a ‘green handbrake’ to ‘equal partner’. The argument for this conceptual change is developed in three stages. First, we merge two concepts emerging from the literature, namely natural capital (or natural infrastructure) and infrastructure systems, to embed the natural environment as an integral component or ‘equal partner’ in port development. We then identify practical avenues through which the profile (or value) of the natural environment can be enhanced in port development, drawing on concepts such as Building with Nature (BwN) and multi-use of natural capital. Finally, we build a framework for Integrated Port Management (IPM) by conceptually positioning and aligning environmental processes within the traditional port development cycle, as well as identifying the need for coordination across and continuity between individual environmental assessment processes. In essence, bridging the disconnect between natural environmental issues and port development requires early consideration of the natural environment in port development, and an acknowledgement of multi-use benefits from natural capital. Further, in the operations and maintenance phases, environmental management systems in ports should not only focus on environmental performance, but also embrace multi-use valuation of the natural environment (ecosystem services) to give purpose to the need for environmental protection. However, crucial to effective implementation of an Integrated Port Management (IPM) framewo, Policy Analysis

Hydraulic engineering infrastructures, such as reservoirs, dikes, breakwaters, and inlet closures, have significantly impacted ecosystem functioning over the last two centuries. Currently, nature-based solutions are receiving increasing attention in hydraulic engineering projects and research programs. However, there is a lack of reflection on the concomitant, fundamental changes occurring in the field of hydraulic engineering, and coastal engineering in particular, and what this could mean for sustainability. In this article, we signal the shift from conventional to ecosystem-based hydraulic engineering design and characterize this in terms of four continua: (i) the degree of inclusion of ecological knowledge, (ii) the extent to which the full infrastructural lifecycle is addressed, (iii) the complexity of the actor arena taken into account, and (iv) the resulting form of the infrastructural artefact. We support our arguments with two carefully selected, iconic examples from the Netherlands and indicate how the stretching ideals of ecosystem-based engineering could engender further shifts towards sustainability., Policy Analysis

Nature-based flood defence is an innovative design alternative for achieving protection against flooding. Despite significant advancements in science, models and concepts, routine implementation beyond pilot projects remains limited. To better understand why, we have looked into the complexities of nature-based flood defence implementation and its resolutions, modelling decision-making situations using game theory in three nature-based flood defence cases: The Markermeer Dikes, the Afsluitdijk Dam and the Sand Engine. We observe that nature-based flood defence games are of a multi-level and nested nature. While the decision of whether to employ a nature-based flood defence is seemingly made at the project level, this can only happen when it is coherent with the institutional context that is determined at the policy level. A social dilemma is apparent: while a multi-functional nature-based solution is attractive to a coalition of actors, it is not the most beneficial option for individual actors. Hence, they are faced with the dilemma of opting for their maximum benefit or opting for the greater societal benefit which is less favorable to them. This social dilemma can be tackled by making ‘smart moves’, as inspired by the Sand Engine case. The nested nature of the problem requires structural change in the institutional context to enable favourable conditions for nature-based flood defence implementations., Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

Deze Handreiking presenteert het participatief instrument Meerwaarde van Samenwerken dat binnen de kaders van het Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) is toegepast in het gebied Noard-Fryslân Bûtendyks in opdracht van de POV Waddenzeedijken. Het instrument is geschikt voor alle situaties waarin (meer) samenwerken gewenst is, binnen of buiten de wereld van waterveiligheid. Samenwerking succesvol vormgeven is niet vanzelfsprekend, het is vaak nieuw, soms eng en brengt risico’s met zich mee voor planning en budget. Tegelijkertijd is samenwerken tussen HWBP, Waterschappen en Rijkswaterstaat en andere partijen een juridische verplichting en vaak onontkoombaar. Samenwerken kan winst opleveren, denk aan ‘bouwen met natuur’ oplossingen die meerdere functies bedienen. Zoeken naar de mogelijke win-win oplossingen is tevens het uitgangspunt van Meerwaarde van Samenwerken: samenwerken gaat vooral werken als het alle partijen meer oplevert dan de huidige situatie. No regret dus en rekening houdend met de belangen van de partijen. De Handreiking Meerwaarde van Samenwerken geeft een praktische richting hoe het instrument te gebruiken aan de hand van een beschrijving van de voorbereiding en vijf processtappen (Figuur 0.1.1). Na een kennismaking brengen partijen de kansen voor samenwerken in beeld, waarna iedere partij deze waardeert. Op basis van de individuele waarderingen wordt de meerwaarde van samenwerken voor de groep bepaald en bekeken hoe de meerwaarde van samenwerken kan worden bereikt. In gesprek gaan staat hierbij centraal, ondersteunt met speltheoretische analyses en concepten. Zo helpt dit instrument partijen om samenwerkingsmogelijkheden te verkennen door de belangrijkste elementen en kansen te identificeren en belangrijke logische consequenties te doordenken en bediscussiëren., Policy Analysis

Long-term sustainable port development requires accounting for the intrinsic values of ecosystems. However, in practice, ecosystem considerations often only enter the planning and design process of ports when required by an Environmental Impact Assessment. At this late stage, most of the design is already fixed and opportunities to minimize and restore ecosystem impacts are limited. In this paper, we adopt a large-scale, ecosystem perspective on port development with the aim to identify ecosystem-based design alternatives earlier and throughout the planning and design of a port's marine infrastructure. We present a framework, termed the 'ecosystem-based port design hierarchy' (EPDH), to identify ecosystem-based alternatives at four hierarchical design levels: 1) alternatives to port developments, 2) port site selection, 3) port layout design, and 4) design of structures and materials. In applying the EPDH framework retrospectively to a case study of port expansion in Tema, Ghana, we establish that ecosystem considerations played only a limited role in identifying and evaluating alternatives at all four design levels in the case study, whereas more eco-friendly alternatives in terms of port layouts, structures, and materials are identified using the EPDH framework. This reveals that opportunities for ecosystem-friendly port designs may have been missed and demonstrates the need for and the potential added value of our framework. The framework can assist practitioners in earlier and wider identification of ecosystem-based alternatives for a port's marine infrastructure in future seaport developments and, hence, represents an important step towards more sustainable port designs., Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering, Policy Analysis

In het prestatiecontract Beheer en Onderhoud IJsseldelta en Twentekanalen is een ‘Leerteam’ opgenomen. De contractpartijen gaan hierin gezamenlijk op zoek naar innovaties om het beheer en onderhoud van het gebied duurzamer en betaalbaarder te maken. De effectiviteit van het Leerteam kan onder andere vergroot worden door onder andere de gecreëerde meerwaarde beter inzichtelijk te maken en verder in te zetten op doorwerking van innovaties, Policy Analysis

Connecting to the trend of harmonization of port developments with nature, this paper presents a framework for the explicit inclusion of ecosystem based alternatives in the early planning and design stages of seaport developments. The framework aims to shift the focus from offsetting environmental impacts afterwards to avoidance and reduction of environmental impacts as integral part of seaport planning and design. Our framework, labeled the ecosystem based port design hierarchy, helps to identify ecosystem based alternatives at 4 hierarchical levels of port planning and design: (1) consideration of alternatives to port developments to meet a perceived transport capacity problem (i.e. “no-port” alternatives), (2) port site selection, (3) port layout selection and (4) selection of port structures and materials. Application of the framework to the planning and design process of Tema port expansion in Ghana in hindsight shows that ecosystem based considerations barely played a role in alternative generation and evaluation. Therefore, opportunities for environmental impact avoidance and reduction may have been missed in the decision making process. It is recognized that decision making is a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder process which is not based on environmental considerations only, but requires tradeoffs with functional, operational and socio-economic requirements. Nevertheless, we believe that explicit identification and inclusion of ecosystem based alternatives as part of this decision making process, as supported by our framework, is a requirement to arrive at port developments that are (better) harmonized with nature., Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering, Policy Analysis

A867 Sustainable port development and integrated coastal management (ICM) require: (i) ecosystem-based or integrated design, (ii) a future orientation, (iii) stakeholder-inclusive processes. Stakeholder-inclusive processes, the focus of this paper, increase the diversity of knowledge and the availability of information, and expand the pool of creativity in a development initiative. As such, they address the bounded rationality of a single actor or group of actors with limited information on their coastal (port) system and limited ability to explore and process all potential options for such a system. Stakeholder participation is also considered ‘good governance’, and forms an inherent component of ICM. In this paper we investigate the added value of stakeholder-inclusive processes conducted in the scoping phases of several coastal and port projects in data-poor environments. We evaluate 5 cases: Sustainable port development in Tema (Ghana), ICM in Sao Tome, ICM in Guinee for the island of Kaback, for Grand Bassam (Ivory Coast),and Richards Bay/ Mhlatuze in terms of 7 categories of added value, namely: 1. Data collection/ Ground-truthing: biogeophysical and social aspects 2. System understanding: governance, social and biogeophysical aspects 3. Insight in past and current actions/ strategies 4. Eliciting problem perceptions, values and priorities 5. Developing new solutions/ Creativity: changing scale, issues involved, future visions 6. Process design preferences: who should be involved, how and when 7. Increased support for new coastal and port development strategies. Overall, we determine that although scoping was the primary focus of the cases, the participatory processes contributed to generating potential solution options, and preparing for evaluation and decision making. The range of potential solution options broadened– more issues were identified, and the fit with the local needs improved. The added value of the par, Policy Analysis, Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering

Africa is on the rise and new ports are essential to unlock production and trade opportunities and enable future growth. A growing consensus recognizes the need for sustainable port development, aimed at finding the right balance between human, environmental and economic aspects. However, an integrated inter-disciplinary approach to sustainable port development, which embraces the four perspectives of engineering, ecology, economy and governance is lacking. The ongoing NWO-UDW project "Integrated and Sustainable Port Development in Ghana" addresses this gap. It aims to develop a generic framework and a set of tools for stakeholder inclusive design of integrated and sustainable ports in Africa. It proposes a bottom up approach whereby research in all four disciplines is directed at relevant and practical cases in Africa. The Ghanaian port of Tema has been selected as a pilot project. This paper describes the project including the underlying vision and the objectives, the work-plan and the expected project results. It also describes the results of a workshop in Ghana in July 2015 to identify needs and values of relevant stakeholders with respect to Tema port development., Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering, Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

De vegetatie op de oevers van rivieren en kanalen wordt normaliter machinaal beheerd. Rijkswaterstaat is echter op zoek naar innovaties en slimme samenwerking om het rivierbeheer betrouwbaarder, duurzamer en betaalbaarder te maken. Daarom onderzoeken Rijkswaterstaat, Deltares en aannemerscombinatie BAM/van den Herik binnen het prestatiecontract IJssel/Twentekanalen een alternatieve methode: traditionele schapenbegrazing.

Het bestaan van verschillende manieren om water te beheren leidt al snel tot controverses tussen wetenschap en beleid. Voorkeuren voor specifieke oplossingen vloeien veelal voort uit verschil in percepties (perspectieven) en niet zozeer uit een gebrek aan kennis of feiten van en over het watersysteem. Via de Perspectievenmethode analyseerden we het huidige, dominante perspectief op water- en rivierbeheer in Nederland. Hiertoe is een vragenlijst opgesteld, die is ingevuld door een groot aantal waterprofessionals. Daaruit blijkt dat het huidige perspectief uitgaat van een hoge mate van controleerbaarheid van het watersysteem, waarde hecht aan expertkennis en een redelijk tot groot vertrouwen in technologie heeft. Voorts is er een voorkeur voor een meer natuurlijke en aanbod gestuurde inrichting van het watersysteem zonder dat dit ten koste gaat van de beheersbaarheid ervan., Policy Analysis

Pilot projects appear in many forms in policy making and management. In an effort to understand the nature and use of pilot projects and improve their effectiveness, we undertake a practice-based and theoretical study of the pilot project phenomenon. First, we examine the roles assigned to pilot projects in the policy development literature and explore their use in a Dutch water innovation platform. Second, we determine characteristics of pilot projects to deepen insights into the nature of the pilot project phenomenon and the dimensions useful in the design of pilot projects. Third, we identify three pilot types and nine ways to use a pilot project and we develop a Pilot Project Nonagon that can be used to assess pilot projects’ uses and to compare stakeholders’ perspectives on these uses. Fourth, we identify hurdles to diffusion of the knowledge developed from pilot projects and suggest strategies to overcome these. Lastly, we formulate a research agenda aimed at addressing the identified knowledge gaps.

Pilot projects are widely applied in water management. They can be used to test risky innovations at confined scale, but can also be used to delay policy decisions or to advocate a particular innovation. In this book the phenomenon ‘pilot project’ is explored both theoretically and empirically. A framework to analyse pilot projects is developed and applied. Sixteen pilot projects conducted within the WINN innovation program in the Netherlands are analysed and three floodplain restoration pilot projects in the Rhine Basin are studied in-depth. These include the pilot projects on the floodplains of Beuningen (the Netherlands), in Polder Altenheim (Germany) and in Basel (Switzerland). Insights are developed regarding different types of pilot projects, different reasons actors have for initiating or participating in a pilot project, effects that pilot projects have on policy and practice, and factors that influence the diffusion process. By deepening understanding of pilot projects as instruments to practice changes and potentially change practices, this book contributes both to public policy theory and pilot project practice., Policy Analysis, Technology, Policy and Management

The debate on scale use in river management focuses primarily on the (lack of) fit between the biogeophysical and institutional systems. However, in this article we focus on the ‘subjective’ aspect of scale preferences in water governance. We apply an adapted version of the Integrated Scale Hierarchy for Rivers to determine the degree of fit between the scale preferences of the actors involved in a Dutch case study and the scale requirements of the innovative river management concept. This allows us to understand which riverine processes and characteristics are regarded as important by the different actors and to identify mismatches in scale perspectives as they manifest themselves in water management practice. We discover that inflexibility in scale use on the part of the involved actors places bounds on the design and quality of interventions and demonstrate that a more flexible use of scales in the design phase of a river management intervention has the potential to lead to more effective solutions., Multi Actor Systems, Technology, Policy and Management

28th Annual Conference of IAIA - The Art and Science of Impact Assessment, 4 mei 2008, Contains fulltext : 72242.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)