Due to increasing flood risks, storm surge barriers become crucial for the socioeconomic continuity of coastal areas. They provide flood protection, especially against extreme events, by operating under specific circumstances. This imposes high-performance requirements for storm surge barriers and their …

Climate change has intensified the occurrence of extreme weather events, with severe flooding posing one of the most pressing challenges, particularly in informal settlements where infrastructure is inadequate, and resources are scarce. Mukuru Kwa Njenga, one of Nairobi's largest informal settlements, …

Providing equitable food security for a growing population while minimizing environmental impacts and enhancing resilience to climate shocks is an ongoing challenge. Here, we quantify the resource intensity, environmental impacts and nutritional output of a small (0.075 ha) low-input subsistence Mediterranean …

In response to the growing challenges posed by climate change and urbanization, this thesis proposes designing a rain garden as a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. The primary goal of this project is to create design of a nature-based solution that not only manages …

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to develop a “risk resilience model” for agricultural SMEs, that prepares farmers to the effects of major environmental challenges like climate change and weather shocks. Methodology: Action research is the methodology used. It was based on a template for qualitative …

Climate change negatively impacts forests in terms of reduced vitality, productivity loss and sometimes even die-back (Allen et al., 2010). In Europe, these impacts are magnified by the species-poor, even-aged characteristics of many contemporary forests. To combat these effects, mixed-species forest …

Habitat fragmentation caused by urbanization and climate change are important drivers of biodiversity decline and ecosystem degradation (McKinney, 2002). Governmental inaction results in cascade effects, such as the extinction of species and the weakening of ecosystem services that citizens depend on. …

Due to climate change, rising temperatures lead to more extreme heat stress in urban areas. Last summer, there were poignant images of people looking for shade in cities. Trees are effective measures to provide shade and decrease the perceived temperature. However, trees cannot grow in healthy conditions …

Sand nourishments are crucial to counteract coastal erosion and preserve a variety of coastal functions, including beach recreation and tourism. In the coming decades, an increase in the scale of sand nourishment operations is needed to adapt to sea level rise. This could induce changes to the current …