Project properties
Title The role of knowledge and interests in Dutch river restoration decision-making and evaluation
Group Soil Geography and Landscape
Project type thesis
Credits 36
Supervisor(s) Jasper Candel, Jakob Wallinga, Jeroen Candel, Katrien Vermeer
Examiner(s) Jakob Wallinga, Katrien Vermeer
Contact info jasper.candel@wur.nl
Begin date 2022/01/03
End date
Description Over the past centuries, streams in many parts of the world were channelized and straightened, resulting in rapid drainage of catchments. In recent decades, it has been increasingly realized that stream channelization has considerable drawbacks for ecology and flood vulnerability. Following the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), Dutch water boards have initiated many projects to restore streams, for example by 'gardening' streams into sinuous channels. Stream restoration aims to restore the ecology and streams' 'natural' states.
In spite of its recent popularity, stream restoration is not an unqualified success. Both scientists and societal stakeholders have been critical about the outcomes of restoration projects. This can be largely explained due to the lack of an univocal scientific evidence base when making decisions about stream restoration as well as the wide array of societal interests involved (e.g., farmers, environmental NGOs, citizens, etc.). Consequently, stream restoration initiatives (e.g. stream re-meandering) are often implemented without having set clear goals or success indicators. This MSc thesis research project aims to obtain a better understanding of: (i) how water managers deal with scientific complexity and societal controversy when deciding about stream restoration projects, and/or (ii) what role knowledge and interests play in the evaluation of these projects.

This research project is inter-disciplinary pur sang. We are looking for an ambitious and independent student who is able to combine knowledge about and affinity for stream restoration with social science theories about decision making, science-policy interfaces, framing and/or policy evaluation. The student will conduct interviews amongst Dutch water managers and stakeholders as well as analyze relevant policy documents and scientific literature.
Used skills Interview, Interdisciplinarity
Requirements