Successful reintroduction programs of badgers, beavers, storks, wolves and other endangered species in The Netherlands have led to an increase of these species in our densely built environment. Negative consequences however are that infrastructural elements are increasingly facing destabilization due to animal presence, mostly due to digging activity or nest building. Roads, railways and water embankments, infrastructural assets of vital importance to a country that lies partly below sea level, are at risk of being damaged. We are searching for a new balance between nature preservation and infrastructural stability.
The Dutch approach to ensure the integrity, efficiency and safety of our networks while facing ecological changes is based on the Ruijters (2006) model of the learning landscape. It involves collaboration between government bodies, executive agencies, knowledge institutions and interest groups. In this session we will venture over country borders, and exchange lessons from international practices.
We will briefly outline our national programmatic approach. We then aim to exchange with other international representatives how policy making, collaboration and balancing of interests are done internationally. We will first discuss propositions and will then breakout in three subtopics: (1) finding a balance between curative and preventative measures, (2) creating a knowledge base on broader uncertainties such as future effects of climate change, or how to avoid affecting the food chain by applying measures against infrastructural damage; and (3) setting up viable collaborations. We hope to discuss this with ecologists, administrators, legal advisors, engineers and scientists from other countries.