Climate Adaptation for Rural arEas (CARE)

The project Climate Adaptation for Rural arEas is part of the research programme Knowledge for Climate. Governmental
organisations (central government, provinces, municipalities and water boards)
and businesses, actively participate in research programming through the input
of additional resources (matching). 

This research programme acknowledges the important role of
human perception of and response to climate change and its consequences in the
development and implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. It aims
to generate the fundamental knowledge that is necessary to design and evaluate
adaptation strategies to cope with the impacts of climate change on rural areas
in the Netherlands. These strategies (sets of policy options) are meant to:

1.
Achieve a climate-versatile ecological structure
that allows meeting high-standard, climate-adjusted nature targets;

2.
While maintaining good prospects for
agriculture, the drinking water sector, and other land-use functions;

3.
Whereby the overall functionality of the
landscape, in terms of water management, biodiversity, agriculture, drinking
water and recreation is optimized.

Innovative aspects are the development and application of an
agent-based model (ABM) as a scientifically challenging tool to understand
human dimensions of climate change adaptation, and the development of a conceptual
framework based on the provision of ecosystem services for the integration of
nature, water and agricultural management.

  • Title Original : Klimaatadaptatie in landelijke gebieden
  • Website : http://knowledgeforclimate.climateresearchnetherlands.nl/climateadaptationforruralareas
  • Project start : 2010
  • Project end : 2014
  • Contact Person : Prof. Adri van den Brink, Wageningen University, Landscape Architecture chair Group, Environmental Sciences Department
  • Funding Agency : Knowledge for Climate Research Programme (KfC).
  • Project Partners : Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR; lead partner), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Utrecht University (UU), Deltares, KWR Water Cycle Research Institute, and University of Edinburgh (UoE).
  • Project structure : The CARE programme consists of three work packages. WP1 is the coordinating and integrating work package (scenario development, agent-based model, design workshops with stakeholders). Both WP2 and WP3 contain subprojects that generate input for the agent-based model. These subprojects investigate the goals and drivers of nature managers (WP2) and farmers (WP3), which are translated into decision rules for the ABM. Local and regional stakeholders are involved in all stages of the research since their opinions, attitudes and other input are fundamental for the scientific outcomes and for the translation of these outcomes into climate adaptation strategies. A scientific Steering Board, consisting of independent scientists, representatives of the co-financing partners (provinces and water boards), and the national government (Ministry of Economic Affairs) monitors the progress, quality and coherence of the research, and advises both the consortium and the KfC Board.