NEN council for climate change adaptation

I have joined the NEN council for climate change adaptation (Dutch: https://www.nen.nl/normcommissie-klimaatadaptatie). I often get the question, what does NEN mean?

Since 1916, the NEN (Stichting Koninklijk Nederlands Normalisatie Instituut - Dutch) helps parties get together and form agreements that are recorded in standards and guidelines. The NEN also provides training and guidelines, and manages over 34,000 standards. These are international (ISO, IEC), European (EN), and national (NEN). The norms are not laws, but best practices.

This particular committee advises on the following ISO* norms:

ISO 14090 'Adaptation to climate change – Principles, requirements and guidelines'

ISO 14091 'Vulnerability, impacts and risk assessment'

ISO 14092 'Requirements and guidance on adaptation planning'

ISO 14097 'Framework and principles for assessing and reporting investments and financing activities regarding climate change'

*The International Organization for Standardization is an independent organization that "develops and publishes international standards in technical and nontechnical fields" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_for_Standardization).

Aside from this, Dutch NEN norms are also developed, with a wide range of stakeholders. I like to focus on making norms implementable, based on scientific evidence, and have their implementation contribute to a sustainable world as much as possible.

Example of GI - schoolyard wadi

This is a photo of a schoolyard wadi in action at the elementary school De Saller in Losser. Normally this area is empty of water and there is an old tree trunk at the bottom for children to play with. Many schools have used subsidies from the province to reconstruct their schoolyards in a similar manner. Aside from flood preventation and somewhat of a water storage against droughts, the wadi gives children the chance to experience and learn about climate adaptation measures up close. The ecosystem benefits might be less compared to the benefits to humans due to the temporary water storage, but birds and insects can still enjoy the water once the children have gone home. 

European week for waste reduction

This entire week from 16-24 November it is the European week for waste reduction, which also has a Dutch website.The aim is to encourage all Europeans make others aware of renewable sources and recycling options. 

While the one entry listed for the Netherlands is a clothing swap in The Hague, our own campus also regularly has clothing swaps, the latest during the sustainability week. 

As for awareness, I still think the best publication with options along the entire supply chain was: Circular Economy 3.0 - Solving confusion around new conceptions of circularity by synthesising and re-organising the 3R's concept into a 10R hierarchy.This shows the following ten options, and the first 4 (R0-R3) and R7 are specifically for consumers to consider, and can really help with rethinking choices for circularity in our own lives.

R0 = Refuse

R1 = Reduce

R2 = Resell, Reuse

R3 = Repair

R4 = Refurbish

R5 = Remanufacture

R6 = Re-purpose

R7 = Recycle materials

R8 = Recover energy

R9 = Re-mine

 

Article on environmental migrants in coastal Bangladesh published

The journal Habitat International has published an article I co-authored with my colleague Md. Nasif Ahsan and other co-authors, titled: ‘Displaced by nature, driven by choice: Exploring the factors influencing environmental migrants' habitat preferences in coastal Bangladesh'.

You can access it for free until December 20 2024 here:https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1k0wSiuWnJ3Lj 

The abstract reads as follows: 

"This study examines the factors influencing environmental migrants’ habitat preferences in southwestern Bangladesh. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, we selected 408 households in rural and urban areas, who had moved to their current locations due to climatic extremes. We applied relevant regression models to analyze the complex interplay of socioeconomic, environmental, and institutional factors shaping migration decisions. Our empirical results suggest that, despite having greater access to services in cities, migrants reported lower levels of well-being than their rural counterparts, which could be attributed to reduced social cohesion and limited opportunities for participation in decision-making. Disaster preparedness, early warning access, and prolonged exposure to environmental hazards significantly influence migration decisions and well-being. Protracted post-disaster suffering increases the likelihood of migration to urban slums, emphasizing the vulnerability of rural populations. Men are more likely than women to migrate to urban areas, possibly due to perceived employment opportunities. Surprisingly, while slum dwellers have better service access, their well-being scores are lower than rural residents. Access to education, healthcare, safe drinking water, and early warning systems are all crucial determinants of well-being. Policy recommendations include improving disaster preparedness and early warning systems in rural areas, developing targeted interventions for urban slum migrants focused on social cohesion and income diversification, and implementing gender-specific support programs. This research contributes to understanding environmental migration dynamics in Bangladesh and informs policymakers about sustainable resettlement strategies. Future studies should explore non-linear relationships and expand to diverse geographical contexts."