Would you like to plan and co-design Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for addressing urban heat, droughts and floods? Do you have experience with the integration of NbS in urban and regional/national plans and governance? Can you build evidence based knowledge on NbS for adaptation? And are you trained in environmental studies, spatial planning, land and water management or climate change studies? Then you may be the ideal candidate to join Team Climate Resilience at Wageningen Environmental Research!In January 2020 WUR published a nature-based vision for The Netherlands in 2120. Not to predict the future but to fuel our thinking we presented a map of what The Netherlands and other deltas may look like in 2120: ample space for rivers, food from the sea, circular agriculture, nature in flood plains and greener, climate resilient cities. We are looking for researchers who want to understand and develop Nbs to address the impact of climate in urban environments in the Netherlands.
As a nature-based adaptation specialist you will work mainly in the Netherlands and other European countries. You address topics such as:
- planning and co-design innovative NbS for urban landscapes and surroundings in close collaboration with local and regional authorities;
- planning and co-design of NbS by integrating biophysical, social and cultural aspects of urban landscapes and surroundings;
- climate change impacts on urban landscapes and surroundings;
- co-creation of evidence based knowledge on NbS for mitigation and adaptation (living labs);
- assessment of environmental, social and economic costs and benefits of NbS;
- analysis of the market potential for NbS solutions and the development of business models.
You will primarily work with Dutch municipalities, provinces, water boards and land owners on NbS to address climate change impacts such as heat stress, drought and floods. The work process will be science-based and user driven, and integrates biophysical, social, climate change and governance knowledge. You will make use of different quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness and robustness of NbS. You will assess opportunities for scaling NbS and address barriers and enablers. You will apply different decision support tools to encourage active involvement of partners.
You will actively contribute to the strategic programme Green Climate Solutions and you will be member of a larger team of scientists within and outside WUR working on this topic. You will participate and contribute to national and European. You will actively engage with various partners and clients from governments, NGOs, commercial enterprises, etc., and contribute to acquisition of a sustainable project portfolio. Your project results will be disseminated through client oriented reports and possibly papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings; using popular media is encouraged.