Ms. S.E. (Saskia) Werners: Adaptation to climate related risks in managed river basins. Diversifying land use and water management activities to adapt to climate related risks in the Netherlands and Hungary

Saskia Werners: “It is easier to borrow money for champagne than for adaptation”

Adaptation is increasingly seen as an inevitable response to climate change. In this research I investigated the adaptation in managed river basins. In particular, I investigated how land-use and water management activities can be combined to reduce climate related risks in the Netherlands and Hungary. To value risk reduction, the performance of water and land-use management activities has to be studied over the full range of climatic conditions that can occur. This is different from current practice where water management is typically designed to perform under a specific design discharge or narrow range of extreme events. Adaptation is enhanced by pilot projects that test and debate new ideas through collaboration between recognised actors from civil society, policy and science. A challenge is to create flexible financial instruments that share the benefits and burdens of adaptation fairly between people.