UTFacultiesETNewsUT professor awarded over €1m for research into vital sandy coastal reinforcements

UT professor awarded over €1m for research into vital sandy coastal reinforcements

Four research projects are due to begin as part of the ‘Living labs in the Dutch delta’ program. University of Twente professor Kathelijne Wijnberg, from the Department of Engineering Technology (ET) will receive over €1m in funding from NWO and Topsector Water for her research into important sandy coastal reinforcements.

Large-scale sandy coastal reinforcements such as the Sand Motor and the Hondsbossche Dunes combine coastal safety and spatial quality. The Wijnberg project will investigate how these two goals align well in the long term. "We study the mutual influence of using and managing these man-made coasts as well as looking into natural, landscape-forming processes such as sand movement, plant growth, and dune development. The results provide input to aid in the development of a design tool that will be used to work with users and stakeholders to determine designs and usage and management scenarios that optimally fulfil long-term coastal safety and spatial quality goals.”

Projects that are part of the ‘Living labs in the Dutch delta’ program will develop knowledge to help improve water safety and the resilience of the water system. The program comprises fundamental and practice-oriented research, and is a joint initiative developed by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), the Taskforce for Applied Research, and various public and private partners from the National Water and Climate Knowledge and Innovation Programme (NKWK).

Co-applicants:
Dr. M.F. Brugnach UT, dr. J. Limpens WUR, dr. ir. R. van Etteger, dr. ir. T. Terpstra,HZ University of applied sciences.   

Partners: Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board (HHNK), Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (RWS), Bureau Arens, HKV, H+N+S, Royal HaskoningDHV

Source: NWO

drs. J.G.M. van den Elshout (Janneke)
Press relations (available Mon-Fri)