news 2023

The city of Utrecht made world news in 2019 by introducing bee-friendly green roofs on its bus shelters. High time to take stock. Erik Verhagen, a Global Sustainability Science student at Utrecht University, conducted research on the importance of the location of such a bus shelter. After all, how decisive is a green environment in attracting bees to green roofs? Green roofs throughout the city If you haven't seen them yet, look up the next time you wait for the bus in Utrecht.

Researchers from Utrecht University have improved the World Resources Institute's online Aqueduct 4. Water Risk Framework. In Aqueduct , the Water Resources Institute (WRI) compiles scientific information on global water scarcity and water-related hazards, and translates this information into clear but insightful maps for decision-makers and other non-scientific users.

'Wet gets wetter, dry gets drier'. That mantra has been used for decennia to predict how global warming will affect the hydrological cycle in different world regions. But if climate models predict that much of tropical Africa will enjoy a future with wetter weather, then why does it keep getting drier in certain parts of the African tropics, like the Horn of Africa? An international team of researchers have found a pre-historic climate tipping point that helps explain the disparity between these model predictions and the intensifying drought conditions in the Horn of Africa.

The Dutch Research Council (NOW) has awarded Veni funding of up to EUR 280,000 to 188 promising researchers from the full breadth of science. In the fields of Applied and Technical Sciences (TTW) and Exact and Natural Sciences (ENW), seventeen scientists from TU Delft have been honoured. This will allow the laureates to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years.

Several hundred million kg of Dutch plastic waste remain off the radar. That applies to both plastic waste within the Netherlands and Dutch plastic waste that is exported to other countries. Researchers from Utrecht University and other organisations report this finding after mapping waste streams in the Netherlands.

As the world's population continues to grow, ensuring access to clean and safe water has become an increasingly important concern, yet little is known about how surface water quality will change in the future. Recent scientific research has shed light on the potential challenges that surface water quality may face in the coming years, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The climate promises of oil and gas companies are an 'empty box'. That is according to research conducted by scientist Mathieu Blondeel (Institute for Environmental Issues, VU Amsterdam) together with Gregory Trencher (Kyoto University, Japan) and Jusen Asuka (Tohoku University, Japan) on the fossil industry's climate strategy.

According to research by Lisanne Hendriks, an ecologist at Radboud University, azolla and duckweed are the best floating aquatic plants for purifying wastewater. The plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater and so render it much cleaner. The phosphorus and other pollutants in the water can then be recovered and reused.

Amphipods have a much smaller safety margin to cope with warmer water in rivers than has been recognised previously. They also need to get used to warmer water gradually. This is shown by the research of, among other ecologists, Wilco Verberk of Radboud University. The study presents a new method for measuring the heat tolerance of animals, which makes it easier to link the lab with fieldwork.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded eight TU Delft researchers from the Science (ENW) and Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) domains, a Vidi grant of up to 800,000 euro. This will enable the laureates to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their own research group.

We launched the Sustainability Dialogues with the UT community in February with great drive and determination. It suits the diversity and urgency of the climate change issue, and also the value the UT community gives to contributing to solutions.

Recognising the urgent need to respond to rapid societal and environmental change, resilience is one of the University of Twente's spearheads. As an academic institution, we have a role to play in strengthening the resilience of the social, technological and environmental systems that support us. In this weekly series, UT researchers share their personal reflections on current events and trends that impact our daily lives, exploring their implications for resilience.

Without further implementation net-zero targets will not deliver their intended climate mitigation. Many net-zero targets are not legally binding, nor are they accompanied by either a long-term plan or effective short-term policies, a new study finds. For the Paris climate goals to come within reach this would need to happen.

Anthropogenic increased nitrogen deposition is a well-known environmental stressor, resulting in impoverishment of soil quality in naturally nutrient-poor ecosystems. As a result, habitat conditions for plant and animal species are also changing. Such changes are sometimes clearly visible in the field.

New report highlights the importance of fluid dynamics research at TU/e and other universities for Dutch industry Dutch industry employs more than 19,000 people who are working on fluid flows in their many different forms. The export of products and services in the field of flow dynamics provides great added value for the economy and society.

A model study reveals that the seeds of plants in small, fragmented habitats can abruptly evolve in such a way that they can no longer travel long distances. As a consequence, plants are less successful in reaching other habitats. This insight shows that fragmented natural areas may need to be better connected than previously assumed.

Scientists of the department of Natural Resources (ITC Faculty - University of Twente) recently published an article in the scientific journal Nature Communications . In their research, associate professor from the NRS Department Dr Tiejun Wang (corresponding author) and his master's student Ms.

Adaptation measures, like building dikes at coastal cities, can reduce internal migration due to sea level rise by 30 to 90 percent in 2100. This is concluded in a study by climate scientist Lena Reimann of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This is concluded in a recently published study - Exploring spatial feedbacks between adaptation policies and internal migration patterns due to sea-level rise - in Nature Communications, led by Lena Reimann, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Monday, 22 May 2023, during Biodiversity Day, TU Delft is launching a collaboration with Waarneming.nl to make the TU Delft Campus more green and vibrant. René Hoonhout and Tim Tabak from EcoCampus gave tours to students and staff to discover and capture plants, animals and organisms on campus.

Four Utrecht researchers, each with slightly different areas of expertise and at different stages in their careers. But with one urgent shared concern: climate is changing, ice sheets are melting and sea levels are rising. This concern is crystal clear. But the complex research behind it is far from simple for most people.