Our climate is changing, due among other reasons to the increasing use of fossil fuels. To be able to prepare for the drastic consequences this change could have for our living environment – such as rising sea levels, desertification of large areas of land, more frequent incidence of extreme weather and the shifting of ecosystems – policymakers are in great need of reliable information about the effects at the regional, national and international levels, as well as on possible remedial measures.
Our research and education (often in close cooperation with the department of environmental sciences of Wageningen University) focuses on obtaining the most reliable information about the possible effects of climate change and possible measures to prevent or to contain these effects. The Earth System approach forms herein a key starting point. Adaptation studies are conducted in both natural and semi-natural systems.
Alterra does research on climate changes from various disciplines, such as soils, landscape, water and climate, ecology and geoinformation.
Alterra also participates in the national research programme Climate changes Spatial Planning.
Websites about climate
- Climate changes spatial planning. This research programme investigates the consequences of climate change and ways to deal with them, geared to the utilisation of space, so as to support decision-making on the future layout of our country.
- CCB Wageningen UR. This is the Wageningen Platform and Expertise Centrum in the area of climate change, land use and biosphere.
Publication
Some general publications about climate change produced or co-produced by Alterra and Wageningen University:
- Climate changes Dutch water management, augustus 2007 (download pdf). Engelstalige brochure.
- Responses of Species to Changes in Climate Determine Climate Protection Targets (download pdf 1-2-2005)
- Paper presented by prof. Rik Leemans (Wageningen University) at the G8 conference Avoiding Dagerous Climate Change in Exeter, UK February 1, 2005. Website conference: www.stabilisation2005.com/