Arjen Zegwaard

Hi!
I'm Arjen. As one of the researchers, based in Wageningen, I will be focussing primarily on the Dutch Delta. When I'm not working on Deltas, i try to create time to read (here you can find my goodreads profile) or to ride my racing bicycle (here you can follow my activities on runkeeper)  as often as possible! Not really regularly, but I do sometimes also leave some digital traces via twitter (this is me).

The working title of my research is: The Water-body Multiple and its Watershed moments: engaging abundance in the Dutch and Bangladeshi Deltas

In a very general way I could say that my research is informed by my personal fascination with decision making processes on complex issues. I think it’s interesting to see how highly complex or wicked problems are in these processes in the end often reduced to simple “yes” or “no” decisions. I’m particularly interested in how the complexity is reduced (abstraction), through what mechanisms and looking at the role of technologies in this. In the field of water management this is often done by making use of models (e.g. hydrodynamic models). My PhD studied can be summarized in the questions: “On what knowledges are (Delta management) decisions based?”

My study will focus on cases in the Netherlands where decision making on complex socioecological issues involve high levels of uncertainty. A Delta is a vibrant region in which many decisions are currently under discussion and are strongly opposed by different societal groups (e.g. the opening of the Haringvlietdam and the de-poldering of the Hedwigespolder). The Afsluitdijk is the first large closure dam, finished in 1932, and is currently the subject of renewal plans (updating to new safety standards and adding new functionality). All cases will deal with the practices and institutionalization in the rethinking of physical structures (e.g. ‘ontpoldering’) and knowledge generating processes (e.g. numerical modeling studies for supporting policies). Through collaborative fieldwork a comparative analysis will be made of observed mechanisms and lessons that can be learned. The research consists of the following focus points:

• The role of models in decision making
• Inside the rethinking of technologies
• Science-Policy Assessment in action, focus on the role of ‘facts’