This study examines the extent of congruence across the issue of climate change between household... more This study examines the extent of congruence across the issue of climate change between households and climate policies, based on a case study in Nuevo León, Mexico. We used thematic analysis to examine responses from a household survey and classify perceptions of climate change, which resulted in seven main themes. We then reviewed how the themes are used in selected climate policies to make a comparison between them and household perceptions. We found climate policy concerns focused on mitigating greenhouse gases, preparing for extreme weather events, and reducing impacts that affect economic development in Nuevo León and Mexico. By contrast, respondents showed a wider range of concerns and are especially worried about current issues in their homes and everyday lives. As households have an important role to play in addressing climate change, we argue that a stronger congruence between household perceptions and climate policies could make policies more approachable for households, and thus have a positive impact on policy implementation.
The site response input in the Groningen seismic hazard assessment is based on modelled shear-wav... more The site response input in the Groningen seismic hazard assessment is based on modelled shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles. Two sets of data were used to compare in situ (field) and model data of VS. The first set consists of data from several blocks of ~ 400 nodes. Inversion of passive seismic data from a coarse grid of ~ 6 km x 10 km resulted in VS profiles to a depth of 800 m and from a denser grid of ~ 1 km x 1 km more detail to a depth of 100 m. The field VS profiles were a combination these two depth ranges. The site response analysis based on either the field or model VS profiles showed on average similar amplification factors over periods relevant for seismic risk. The model VS profiles are therefore a good representation. The second set consists of VS data from MASW surveys on dwelling mounds. The local detailed field VS profiles reach a depth of 18 m. Site response analyses using the full model VS profiles or profiles with the top 18 m replaced by field VS showed that the a...
Titel De ondergrond van Groningen: een geologische geschiedenis Datum June 2015 Opdrachtgever NAM... more Titel De ondergrond van Groningen: een geologische geschiedenis Datum June 2015 Opdrachtgever NAM Auteur(s) Erik Meijles, universitair document geografie van de natuurlijke omgeving Bewerkt door Jan van Elk Dirk Doornhof Organisatie Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Organisatie NAM Plek in het aardbevings
Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing... more Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
ABSTRACT Results of a study dealing with demand of employers for Geo-information specialists and ... more ABSTRACT Results of a study dealing with demand of employers for Geo-information specialists and the supply of educational institutes are presented. The need for a clear definition of a geo-information specialist is strong, with according content of the geo-information curricula.
Since the 1990s, nature and water management policies have attempted to recreate natural rivers s... more Since the 1990s, nature and water management policies have attempted to recreate natural rivers systems by mimicking curvy meandering planforms, based on the assumption that meandering is the natural channel-forming process. However, in low-energy river systems, the extent to which meandering plays a natural role is often minimal. This study aims to quantify contemporary lateral migration in the low-energy irregular sinuous lowland river system of the Drentsche Aa, The Netherlands, and to determine the factors influencing lateral channel migration in a heterogeneous valley fill. Although the river is classified as laterally immobile based on an empirical stability diagram, field observations prove that erosion and deposition are currently occurring. By analyzing historical and present-day maps, it was shown that lateral migration was highly spatially variable for the period 1924-2005. Sinuosity and valley gradient are not correlated to lateral migration rates, suggesting they are not a measure of lateral migration in the case study area, which is in line with the literature. Based on geomorphological and soil map analyses, it was shown that lateral migration rates are significantly higher in valley fills of aeolian sands than in clastic alluvial deposits, which on their turn are significantly higher than in peaty environments. Therefore, local conditions appear to be dominant over other factors such as stream power and bed grain size. These findings are important for river rehabilitation of low-energy rivers, because it shows that local valley fill conditions can greatly influence active lateral migration in the river.
Environment, Development and Sustainability, Jan 17, 2022
Managing and reducing the impacts of climate change depends on efficient actions from all societa... more Managing and reducing the impacts of climate change depends on efficient actions from all societal scales. Yet, the household component is often missing from climate research, debate, and policies. This is problematic because households have been found to significantly contribute to of global greenhouse gas emissions and therefore have the potential to be part of a solution to climate change by mitigating climate change. This study seeks to understand which factors drive household-level mitigation actions. We conducted a household survey in Nuevo Leon, located in northeastern Mexico, to explore the extent to which climate change perceptions and the sociodemographic characteristics of households influence their reported mitigation performances and their perceived mitigation efforts. Results from linear regression analyses and generalized linear models revealed that sociodemographic characteristics are key drivers of the households' perceived mitigation efforts and reported mitigation performances and. We also found that climate change perceptions drive a household's efforts to mitigate climate change. These results could partly explain why despite the efforts households take to mitigate climate change, achieving an effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is challenging without further access to resources such as education and financial support. If governments intend to realize substantial reductions in future emission pathways, then household-level mitigation should be addressed with proper support.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Nov 1, 2010
Drawing on experiences from a project conducted in the ‘Drentsche Aa’ area in the Netherlands, th... more Drawing on experiences from a project conducted in the ‘Drentsche Aa’ area in the Netherlands, this article discusses the concept of the ‘rural atelier’ as a form of problem-based learning. The rural atelier principle was used originally in rural development planning and described as such by Foorthuis (2005) and Elerie and koopman (2008). Here, we discuss it in the context
Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of l... more Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of local shallow soils. NAM commissioned Deltares to conduct a detailed survey of the shallow subsurface above the Groningen gas field. The survey focuses on Quaternary geology with an emphasis on the upper 50 metres. This report provides an introduction to Groningen's Quaternary geology as a background to the comprehensive Deltares report, which has culminated in a detailed model of Groningen's shallow subsurface. This report was written by Dr ir Erik Meijles,
Natura2000 and Water Framework Directive policies aim for natural conditions in rural landscapes ... more Natura2000 and Water Framework Directive policies aim for natural conditions in rural landscapes within the EU. As a result, many nature restoration, reconstruction or 'rewilding' projects are currently underway to (re)create natural landscapes. Such projects often strive for a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve an increase in biodiversity, sustainability or climate resilience. In addition, rewilding is expected to also benefit tourism development and landscape heritage preservation. Rewilding projects often involve intensive physical changes in ecosystems, such as re-meandering, undraining, removing ditches, creating nature-friendly embankments and top soil removal. However, such physical changes may also be a threat to landscape values. There are examples of areas where important archaeological or cultural-historical structures were damaged. Elsewhere reconstruction of river beds has resulted in physical processes that are not endemic to the specific landscape. This raises the question to what extent rewilding projects are based on knowledge of historical natural landscape conditions and processes. It may be that they are based on expected natural conditions, relying on general, not location-specific processes. In such cases, rewilding either does not fully benefit from available knowledge about the historical landscape or there is simply a lack of available knowledge for a sound foundation of rewilding plans. This has resulted in expectations not being met after completion of the rewilding works or, even worse, extensive irreversible damage to heritage in some cases. With this session we aim to assess and evaluate rewilding landscape projects in Europe and elsewhere. We would like to discuss to what extent the different types of landscape heritage (i.e. natural, cultural historical and geoheritage) are or should have been part of the rewilding process and what the consequences are for future landscape management.
Nederlandse landschappen hebben een lange, complexe geschiedenis achter de rug waarbij natuurlijk... more Nederlandse landschappen hebben een lange, complexe geschiedenis achter de rug waarbij natuurlijke en menselijke processen een belangrijke rol spelen en speelden. In het huidige landschap vallen veel van die processen af te lezen, maar vaak is lang niet alles van de wordingsgeschiedenis in een oogopslag zichtbaar. Maar dat ze niet zichtbaar zijn, wil niet zeggen dat overblijfselen van de ontwikkelingsgeschiedenis niet meer aanwezig zijn. Om een beeld te krijgen van de wording van een landschap kan het maken van een landschapsbiografie een nuttig gereedschap zijn. In deze brochure wordt uitgelegd op welke manier zo'n biografie gemaakt kan worden, op basis van ervaringen van het project "Biografie van het water" in het stroomgebied van de Drentsche Aa.
This study examines the extent of congruence across the issue of climate change between household... more This study examines the extent of congruence across the issue of climate change between households and climate policies, based on a case study in Nuevo León, Mexico. We used thematic analysis to examine responses from a household survey and classify perceptions of climate change, which resulted in seven main themes. We then reviewed how the themes are used in selected climate policies to make a comparison between them and household perceptions. We found climate policy concerns focused on mitigating greenhouse gases, preparing for extreme weather events, and reducing impacts that affect economic development in Nuevo León and Mexico. By contrast, respondents showed a wider range of concerns and are especially worried about current issues in their homes and everyday lives. As households have an important role to play in addressing climate change, we argue that a stronger congruence between household perceptions and climate policies could make policies more approachable for households, and thus have a positive impact on policy implementation.
The site response input in the Groningen seismic hazard assessment is based on modelled shear-wav... more The site response input in the Groningen seismic hazard assessment is based on modelled shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles. Two sets of data were used to compare in situ (field) and model data of VS. The first set consists of data from several blocks of ~ 400 nodes. Inversion of passive seismic data from a coarse grid of ~ 6 km x 10 km resulted in VS profiles to a depth of 800 m and from a denser grid of ~ 1 km x 1 km more detail to a depth of 100 m. The field VS profiles were a combination these two depth ranges. The site response analysis based on either the field or model VS profiles showed on average similar amplification factors over periods relevant for seismic risk. The model VS profiles are therefore a good representation. The second set consists of VS data from MASW surveys on dwelling mounds. The local detailed field VS profiles reach a depth of 18 m. Site response analyses using the full model VS profiles or profiles with the top 18 m replaced by field VS showed that the a...
Titel De ondergrond van Groningen: een geologische geschiedenis Datum June 2015 Opdrachtgever NAM... more Titel De ondergrond van Groningen: een geologische geschiedenis Datum June 2015 Opdrachtgever NAM Auteur(s) Erik Meijles, universitair document geografie van de natuurlijke omgeving Bewerkt door Jan van Elk Dirk Doornhof Organisatie Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Organisatie NAM Plek in het aardbevings
Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing... more Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
ABSTRACT Results of a study dealing with demand of employers for Geo-information specialists and ... more ABSTRACT Results of a study dealing with demand of employers for Geo-information specialists and the supply of educational institutes are presented. The need for a clear definition of a geo-information specialist is strong, with according content of the geo-information curricula.
Since the 1990s, nature and water management policies have attempted to recreate natural rivers s... more Since the 1990s, nature and water management policies have attempted to recreate natural rivers systems by mimicking curvy meandering planforms, based on the assumption that meandering is the natural channel-forming process. However, in low-energy river systems, the extent to which meandering plays a natural role is often minimal. This study aims to quantify contemporary lateral migration in the low-energy irregular sinuous lowland river system of the Drentsche Aa, The Netherlands, and to determine the factors influencing lateral channel migration in a heterogeneous valley fill. Although the river is classified as laterally immobile based on an empirical stability diagram, field observations prove that erosion and deposition are currently occurring. By analyzing historical and present-day maps, it was shown that lateral migration was highly spatially variable for the period 1924-2005. Sinuosity and valley gradient are not correlated to lateral migration rates, suggesting they are not a measure of lateral migration in the case study area, which is in line with the literature. Based on geomorphological and soil map analyses, it was shown that lateral migration rates are significantly higher in valley fills of aeolian sands than in clastic alluvial deposits, which on their turn are significantly higher than in peaty environments. Therefore, local conditions appear to be dominant over other factors such as stream power and bed grain size. These findings are important for river rehabilitation of low-energy rivers, because it shows that local valley fill conditions can greatly influence active lateral migration in the river.
Environment, Development and Sustainability, Jan 17, 2022
Managing and reducing the impacts of climate change depends on efficient actions from all societa... more Managing and reducing the impacts of climate change depends on efficient actions from all societal scales. Yet, the household component is often missing from climate research, debate, and policies. This is problematic because households have been found to significantly contribute to of global greenhouse gas emissions and therefore have the potential to be part of a solution to climate change by mitigating climate change. This study seeks to understand which factors drive household-level mitigation actions. We conducted a household survey in Nuevo Leon, located in northeastern Mexico, to explore the extent to which climate change perceptions and the sociodemographic characteristics of households influence their reported mitigation performances and their perceived mitigation efforts. Results from linear regression analyses and generalized linear models revealed that sociodemographic characteristics are key drivers of the households' perceived mitigation efforts and reported mitigation performances and. We also found that climate change perceptions drive a household's efforts to mitigate climate change. These results could partly explain why despite the efforts households take to mitigate climate change, achieving an effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is challenging without further access to resources such as education and financial support. If governments intend to realize substantial reductions in future emission pathways, then household-level mitigation should be addressed with proper support.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Nov 1, 2010
Drawing on experiences from a project conducted in the ‘Drentsche Aa’ area in the Netherlands, th... more Drawing on experiences from a project conducted in the ‘Drentsche Aa’ area in the Netherlands, this article discusses the concept of the ‘rural atelier’ as a form of problem-based learning. The rural atelier principle was used originally in rural development planning and described as such by Foorthuis (2005) and Elerie and koopman (2008). Here, we discuss it in the context
Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of l... more Ground acceleration caused by an induced earthquake is strongly dependent on the composition of local shallow soils. NAM commissioned Deltares to conduct a detailed survey of the shallow subsurface above the Groningen gas field. The survey focuses on Quaternary geology with an emphasis on the upper 50 metres. This report provides an introduction to Groningen's Quaternary geology as a background to the comprehensive Deltares report, which has culminated in a detailed model of Groningen's shallow subsurface. This report was written by Dr ir Erik Meijles,
Natura2000 and Water Framework Directive policies aim for natural conditions in rural landscapes ... more Natura2000 and Water Framework Directive policies aim for natural conditions in rural landscapes within the EU. As a result, many nature restoration, reconstruction or 'rewilding' projects are currently underway to (re)create natural landscapes. Such projects often strive for a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve an increase in biodiversity, sustainability or climate resilience. In addition, rewilding is expected to also benefit tourism development and landscape heritage preservation. Rewilding projects often involve intensive physical changes in ecosystems, such as re-meandering, undraining, removing ditches, creating nature-friendly embankments and top soil removal. However, such physical changes may also be a threat to landscape values. There are examples of areas where important archaeological or cultural-historical structures were damaged. Elsewhere reconstruction of river beds has resulted in physical processes that are not endemic to the specific landscape. This raises the question to what extent rewilding projects are based on knowledge of historical natural landscape conditions and processes. It may be that they are based on expected natural conditions, relying on general, not location-specific processes. In such cases, rewilding either does not fully benefit from available knowledge about the historical landscape or there is simply a lack of available knowledge for a sound foundation of rewilding plans. This has resulted in expectations not being met after completion of the rewilding works or, even worse, extensive irreversible damage to heritage in some cases. With this session we aim to assess and evaluate rewilding landscape projects in Europe and elsewhere. We would like to discuss to what extent the different types of landscape heritage (i.e. natural, cultural historical and geoheritage) are or should have been part of the rewilding process and what the consequences are for future landscape management.
Nederlandse landschappen hebben een lange, complexe geschiedenis achter de rug waarbij natuurlijk... more Nederlandse landschappen hebben een lange, complexe geschiedenis achter de rug waarbij natuurlijke en menselijke processen een belangrijke rol spelen en speelden. In het huidige landschap vallen veel van die processen af te lezen, maar vaak is lang niet alles van de wordingsgeschiedenis in een oogopslag zichtbaar. Maar dat ze niet zichtbaar zijn, wil niet zeggen dat overblijfselen van de ontwikkelingsgeschiedenis niet meer aanwezig zijn. Om een beeld te krijgen van de wording van een landschap kan het maken van een landschapsbiografie een nuttig gereedschap zijn. In deze brochure wordt uitgelegd op welke manier zo'n biografie gemaakt kan worden, op basis van ervaringen van het project "Biografie van het water" in het stroomgebied van de Drentsche Aa.
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