Question

Which question has been addressed in this step?

Exploring risks: What are the effects of climate change on the Wadden Sea and how can the long-term safety of the Wadden region be safeguarded?'

Why has this question been chosen?

• The programme team decided to prioritised climate impacts for closer study in the Delta Programme. The prioritisation is based firstly on its direct impact on the central goals of the Delta Programme (safety norms and freshwater supply), next on the severity of the impact and its likeliness.

Which methods have been applied?

• Literature and scoping and background studies that summarise available knowledge on impacts and trends of climate change. This process yielded a long list of reported (potential) impacts.

Why have these methods been selected?

• Faced with the complexity of reported impacts in the background studies for the Delta Programme, it was felt more focus was needed in the course of the policy process.
• We observe that the ministries rely strongly on their 'own' knowledge institutes and epistemic communities.

What results have been obtained?

• Results include prioritised impacts and a more focussed problem definition for the coming year. Climate change is expected to compromise current policy objectives and stakes in the Wadden Sea region in the coming century, the seriousness of the impact and timing are largely uncertain

Reflections on this step

• Few -if any- social scientists are actively involved in the research of the first year and little social sciences research is commissioned