Expectations of Formal Model Analysis Methods: Implications for SIG-MA

At the 2008 System Dynamics Conference in Athens a survey of the understanding and expectations of conference participants regarding model analysis was conducted. Respondents included both those active in research on formal model analysis methods and those only vaguely familiar with the term. Results from the survey are presented and discussed and the implications for the Special Interest Group on Model Analysis (SIG-MA) explicated.Multi Actor SystemsTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Engineering: Building with Nature 101x video #04 - Engineering design process

This is video #04 :Engineering design process in the series of 11 videos. Video material forming a component of a Massive Open Online Course Engineering: Building with Nature 101x on the EDx platform about ecosystem-based, integrated design of hydraulic infrastructures. 11 videos in total, introducing Building with Nature and why it is important, and dealing with Building with Nature as a worldwide trend, the engineering design process, designing storm surge barriers, designing dikes, distilling engineering design principles, distilling ecological design principles, the Building with Nature design process, the Building with Nature design assignment and the peer review process

Building with nature video #02 - Introduction to Building with Nature @ TU Delft 2015

Introducing the Building with Nature course @ TU Delft 2015. A brief introduction to the concept of Building with Nature is given. Study goals are described, and the structure of the course in 5 design assignments is explained. Video 2 in the series of 13 videos

A system dynamics mode-based exploratory analysis of salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers

Coastal communities dependent upon groundwater resources for drinking water and irrigation are vulnerable to salinization of the groundwater reserve. The increasing uncertainty associated with changing climatic conditions, population and economic development, and technological advances poses significant challenges for freshwater management. The research reported in this paper offers an approach for investigating and addressing the challenges to freshwater management using innovative exploratory modeling techniques. We present a generic system dynamics model of a low lying coastal region that depends on its groundwater resources. This systems model covers population, agriculture, industry, and the groundwater reserve. The system model in turn is coupled to a powerful scenario generator, which is capable of producing a comprehensive range of plausible future scenarios. Each scenario describes a unique future pathway of the evolution of population, the economy, agricultural and water purification technologies. We explore the behavior of the systems model across a wide range of scenarios and analyze the implications of these scenarios for freshwater management in the coastal region. In particular, the results are summarized in a decision tree that provides insights into the expected outcomes given the various uncertainties, thus supporting the development of effective policies for managing the coastal aquifer.Multi Actor SystemsTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Strategies to combat salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers: A model-based exploratory analysis

Coastal communities dependent upon groundwater resources for drinking water and irrigation are vulnerable to salinization of the groundwater reserve. The increasing uncertainty associated with changing climatic conditions, population and economic development, and technological advances in agriculture, water treatment, and water purification, poses significant challenges for freshwater management. The research reported in this paper offers an approach for investigating and addressing the challenges to freshwater management using innovative exploratory modeling techniques. We present a generic systems model of a low lying coastal region that depends on its groundwater resources. This systems model covers population, agriculture, industry, and the groundwater reserve. The model captures the key dynamics of these subsystems and their interactions (adapted from Hoekstra, 1998). The systems model in turn is coupled to a powerful scenario generator, which is capable of producing a comprehensive range of plausible future scenarios (Lempert et al., 2003). Each scenario describes a unique future pathway of the evolution of population, the economy, agricultural and water purification technologies. We explore the behavior of the systems model across the wide range of scenarios and analyze the implications of these scenarios for freshwater management in the coastal region. In particular, the results are summarized in a decision tree that provides insights into the expected outcomes given the various uncertainties, thus supporting the development of effective policies for managing the coastal aquifer.Multi Actor SystemsTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Building with nature video #05 - Connecting the Dots 1 in Building with Nature @ TU Delft 2015

Linking between the Building with Nature philosophy and design approach, and ecological processes. A component of the Building with Nature 2015 course at TU Delft. Video 5 in the series of 13 videos

Building with nature video #10 - Connecting the Dots 3 in Building with Nature @ TU Delft 2015

Linking between evaluation using ecosystem services and the governance aspects of Building with Nature. Video 10 in the series of 13 videos

Application of a co-design process on a nature-based intervention in the coastal system of Texel, the Netherlands

The field of coastal management is characterized by a strong collaborative tradition and a willingness on the part of the coastal authorities who embrace listening and actively engaging with stakeholders. Nowadays, coastal policy making in the Netherlands is aiming for enhancing collaboration between different types of actors (e.g. local experts, specialized scientists, policy makers), to for integration at the level of the interface between scientific challenges and societal problems. In this paper we report case-specific, participatory co-design process that occurred in Texel, the Netherlands, where local stakeholders were asked to collaboratively design (“co-design”) utopian and dystopian future visions. We applied an action-type method that addresses the need for empirical exploration of underlying stakeholder values. Professionals with specialized expertise joined in transdisciplinary activities for co-design iteratively towards feasible solutions. Final designs were validated by local participants on value-consistency. A number of considerations contributed to the success of this collaborative and transdisciplinary approach: working directly and locally with local stakeholders; appreciating the local knowledge, stakeholder preferences and underlying stakeholder values; prioritizing a multi-directional flow of information; and engaging professional multidisciplinary specialists in the social-ecological system. Experiences gained from this approach can be used as input for next iterations of collaborative design activities, for the Texel coast and elsewhere