Water and Nature

Life itself depends on a healthy natural environment with space for biodiversity and sufficient clean water. Intensive agriculture, population growth, demand for land and space, environmental problems and increasing prosperity are all putting pressure on fresh water, seawater, soils, plants and animals. It’s increasingly challenging to ensure access to sufficient, high-quality water, due to pollution caused by problems such as excess nutrients, crop protection agents, medicines and microplastics. How do we maintain and optimise existing environmental networks? What opportunities are there to modify our existing network of roads and waterways to benefit flora and fauna? What social and environmental innovations could we draw on for this? Achieving these aims calls for sustainable and future-proof forms of water/environment management that can safely support access to sufficient clean water, nature development, agriculture, recreation and industry.

Applied research groups

Bee Health

The Bee Health applied research group is focused on the welfare of all bees: honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees.
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Marine Management and Conservation

The Marine Management and Conservation applied research group is focused on (1) the management of coral reefs, (2) the management of the Wadden region and the North Sea and (3) fish migration and the Wadden Sea.
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Meadow Birds

The aim of the Meadow Birds applied research group is to maintain and strengthen the meadow bird population and to drive cooperation between all relevant parties in the implementation of meadow bird management.
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Nature Based River Management
The applied research conducted by the Nature Based River Management group focuses on the transition challenges associated with climate change and sustainable river and stream management.
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Sustainable Water Systems

The applied research group is focused on how synergies between technology, space and society can lead to the sustainable development of water systems. It carries out scientific applied research into innovative concepts and processes at different scales.
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Sustainable Water Systems in the Environment and Planning Act

This applied research group researches the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge, tools, insights and skills related to the sustainable development and management of water systems in the context of the Environment and Planning Act.
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Water Technology

This applied research group, run jointly by Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (HVHL) and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, is a research centre that supports private initiatives through high-quality research opportunities and expertise within vocational education.
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