Adapting to climate change: examples from the Netherlands

Higher water levels and more space for water will fundamentally change the way our coastal lowlands are being managed. Appropriate conservation, adaptation and mitigation actions need to take place in the context of sustainable development. In the Netherlands, adaptation measures focus on the water management system as well as the spatial planning. The selection of adaptation measures, mainly depends the type of land use. For the three major types of land types, i.e. the low-lying peatlands in the western part of the country, the higher sandy soil areas in the east and southeast and the marine clay areas in the reclaimed polder areas, adaptation measures, for both agriculture and nature, adaption strategies are discussed

Demand Driven Education: Report on the Education Innovation Project 'Design in Land and Water Management in a Demand Driven Learning Environment'

In the fifth period of the academic year 2008/2009 the chair groups Irrigation and Water Engineering (IWE) and Land Degradation and Development (LDD) organized a new course, i.e. Design in Land and Water Management 2 (IWE- 21312). The course is part of the BSc program International Land and Water Management (BIL). The decision to develop the course can be seen as a measure to ensure that BIL-graduates understand, can analyze, and are able to engage in and to advise on typical design processes as part of their professional practice as irrigation and soil- and water conservation experts

Seeking alternatives of water-saving irrigation : Sprinkler irrigation for smallholder sugarcane farmers in East Java, Indonesia

Sugarcane farmers in Lumajang in East Java Province have a strong preference of using furrow irrigation instead of sprinkler irrigation. To evaluate the possibility of smallholder sprinkler irrigation as an alternative water-saving irrigation method, the aim of this research is to examine the socio-technical dimension of current irrigation practices of smallholder sugarcane farmers, emphasizing the extent of farmer perspectives and knowledge. As comparison to furrows, a smallholder sprinkler system was designed and evaluated. The sprinkler was expected to fit smallholders' acreage, has low investment costs, is easy to build by locals, and is easy in its operation. The responses, perspectives and expectations of farmers to this smallholder sprinkler system are also discussed. The results indicated that smallholder sugarcane farmers perceive furrow irrigation as the best and low-cost irrigation method. They have already spent money on furrow irrigation investment; however, that investment was seen as a burden for their budgets because smallholders perceived sprinkler irrigation as an expensive irrigation method. In addition, the sprinkler could not satisfy their main expectation because it delivered less water than furrows, meaning the soil was not saturated. This mind-set underlines the slow acceptance process of a relatively new irrigation technology implementation for smallholders in Indonesia.</p

Professional development in data use:The effects of primary school teacher training on teaching practices and students' mathematical proficiency

The main aim of this dissertation was to evaluate a PDP on data use in terms of both its proximal (changes in teacher attitudes and teaching practices) and distal outcomes (improved math achievement of the students). This PDP contained three components that reflect the core features of data use and for which empirical evidence has been found: 1. deciding on the desired proficiency level by setting performance standards and goals, 2. establishing the actual proficiency level by using data-analyses and conducting diagnostic math interviews, 3. modifying instruction, using evidence-informed instructional methods (direct instruction and modelling) such that the gap between the desired and actual level can be closed. The PDP was expected to foster teachers’ pedagogical data-literacy, meaning that teachers would be able to adequately interpret data and use this information to base meaningful instructional decisions and actions on (Mandinach, 2012). Consequently, changed teacher attitudes and teaching practices were assumed, resulting in improved math achievement of the students. The study showed that teaching practices were minimally affected by the PDP and no effects on student achievement was found. Professionalizing teachers' data use seems to be complex. There is still no clarity as for the desired content, implementation and evaluation of professional development programs in this field. As data use is nationally and internationally one of the spearheads of educational policy, policy makers should be aware that its evaluation results will be difficult to interpret