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A lot of claims are made worldwide about the role nature can play in combating floods, typhoons and tsunamis. However, no sound research has ever been conducted into the effect of nature on extreme conditions of this kind. How well do trees break the waves?

Pumping huge volumes of sand onto the coastline has effects on currents, waves and swim safety. Max Radermacher has compiled the first analysis of this problem to allow targeted measures (such as extra coastguards) to be taken where necessary. Radermacher will be awarded a PhD at TU Delft for his work on this subject on Friday 15 June.

Large power failures or heavy storms demonstrate how vulnerable our infrastructure is. The four technical universities in the Netherlands (Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, and Wageningen University and Research) are joining forces in the field of Resilience Engineering. On 7 June, the plans for the centre have been explained during an international launch event in Rotterdam.

Can we combat climate change by drawing energy from the ocean? Martha Deen, alumna Applied Earth Sciences, has the ambition to map the potential of marine energy. She convinced a jury and won the Marina van Damme scholarship 2018 for female alumni of TU Delft.

Frans van der Meer was awarded a VIDI grant worth EUR 800,000 for his proposal about composite laminate. VIDI grants are awarded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) to enable laureates to set up their own research group to develop their own innovative line of research.

Extreme hydrological events are generally predicted to become more frequent and damaging in Europe due to warming climate. Researchers from TU Delft and Rice University (Houston) have now shown that, correcting for economic and demographic changes, there has been no increase in financial losses and fatalities from floods in the last 150 years. They have reported on their findings in Nature Communications.

Technology such as MRI helps us to understand the processes that take place in biomass when we purify waste water with micro-organisms. We can use this knowledge to extract more energy and resources (and new pollution) from our own waste water. But we also need new knowledge to tackle problems in the rapidly expanding world cities, where waste water purification is often a relatively new concept. We can and must get much more out of our waste water. This is argued by Professor Merle de Kreuk, who will give her inaugural address at TU Delft on Wednesday, 23 May.