Adaptation to sea level rise, challenges and solutions
Friday 11 June 2021 from 20:00 - 21:30 (CEST)
Sea level rise is a major challenge for low-lying coastal areas around the world. Bas Jonkman, Mathijs van Ledden and Rutger de Graaf-van Dinther will share their insights on these challenges and possible solutions. This event will start by exploring the effects of sea level rise on the Netherlands, and solutions to adapt our dunes, dikes and storm surge barriers. We will then look at potential solutions for other countries around the world, and discuss the situation and ongoing coastal adaptation programmes in Bangladesh. Finally, we will look at large floating cities as one alternative way of adapting and developing coastal zones.
Keynote speakers
S.N. (Bas) Jonkman is a professor of Hydraulic Engineering at Delft University, the Netherlands. He holds the chair of Integral Hydraulic Engineering, which focuses on research and education in the fields of hydraulic structures and flood risk. He holds a PhD degree from TU Delft and has worked for the Dutch government, Royal Haskoning DHV and UC Berkeley. His research interests include flood risk management, land reclamation and the integral design of hydraulic infrastructure, such as flood defences and storm surge barriers.
He has been involved in post-disaster and design studies in the Netherlands, New Orleans, Houston, Mozambique and various countries in South East Asia. Prof Dr Ir Jonkman is currently leading a number of national and European research projects focusing on climate adaptation and strategies for flood risk reduction, including storm surge barriers and nature-based solutions.
Mathijs van Ledden is a Senior Disaster Risk Management Consultant for the World Bank since 2019. He is involved as technical expert in various coastal, river and urban flood protection programs in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Mathijs holds a PhD from Delft University of Technology and an MBA from Tulane University in New Orleans. From 2003 – 2017, he joined the staff of the global consultancy firm Royal HaskoningDHV. After Hurricane Katrina, he has supported the US Army Corps of Engineers during several years with the planning, design and construction of flood protection works in New Orleans and in Southern Louisiana. Between 2011 – 2017, he also held a position at Delft University of Technology in Hydraulics Structures and Flood Risk. He has written many publications in peer-reviewed journals and magazines.
Rutger de Graaf-van Dinther is an entrepreneur with 15 years of experience in climate resilient floating urban development. With DeltaSync and Blue21, he worked on iconic floating projects including the Floating Pavilion Rotterdam and Floating Ecohomes, Harnaschpolder Delft, the Netherlands. More recently, Blue21 contributed to realizing the Innozowa floating solar project. With Indymo, innovative underwater drones were developed to dynamically monitor water quality in Indonesia, Vietnam, Peru, Mali and many other countries. Rutger is trained as civil engineer with a MSc and PhD (both finished cum laude) of Delft University of Technology. He is (co) author of multiple international books, book chapters, and peer reviewed journal articles. International media interviews include the New York Times, Financial Times, BBC World Radio, and Discovery Channel.
About this event
Please note that we have a maximum capacity of 200 participants for this activity, if necessary a waiting list will be created.
