Research of Earth Systems and Global Change

Our mission

Our mission is to improve the understanding of the impacts of global change on Earth systems to contribute to sustainable futures.

Our ambitions

• To improve our understanding of Earth systems in a changing global environment
• To investigate the impacts of a changing global environment on nature and society
• To contribute to the development and implementation of innovative tools, models, and methods to better manage environmental systems
• To investigate land and water-based options to mitigate global change
• To develop and assess sustainable measures and pathways to adapt to these futures
• To educate students in land, water and climate systems, global change and biodiversity and in inter- and transdisciplinarity
• To engage in finding solutions for land, water, climate, and biodiversity problems
• To facilitate a transition towards sustainable systems worldwide

Our approach

At Earth Systems and Global Change, our research and teaching revolves around comprehensive integration. We generate knowledge across these systems, employing innovative systems analysis tools and quantitative and qualitative approaches for data collection, modelling, and integrated assessment. Our approach spans diverse stakeholders, embracing inter- and transdisciplinarity to enact real change.

Through our work, we contribute to a better understanding of the challenges posed by Global Change but also to pioneer actionable solutions, empowering communities and policymakers to create a resilient and sustainable future for all.

Aim

Our research aim is twofold. First, we advance integrated approaches to quantify, model and/or map (changes in) biodiversity and ecosystem services, based on the understanding of underlying biological, socio-economic and geophysical mechanisms and landscape characteristics.

Second, we explore pathways towards sustainable futures, by investigating the role and potential of nature to solve, at least partly, several sustainability challenges in a simultaneous way. We examine trade-offs between policy and management targets and investigate solutions to minimize these trade-offs and enhance synergies.

Approach & methods

Our research follows an integrative/system perspective and uses a variety of methods, that includes modelling, mapping and participatory approaches, at various spatial and temporal scales. Our research relies on a wide range of disciplines (e.g. ecology, hydrology, economics) and on close cooperation with societal stakeholders. We generate knowledge on effective ways to manage ecosystems, biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services to support healthy, sustainable and resilient socio-ecosystems.  

Our mission

The mission within the subgroup Empower sustainable futures is to empower society to transition towards sustainable futures in a changing global environment. We believe that empowering people to become more sustainable requires transdisciplinary and participatory methodologies, tools and approaches. They allow us to generate, communicate and implement new knowledge while fully taking into account the complexity of decision and policy challenges that societal actors face.

Approach

We actively engage society in scientific research, leveraging the power of citizen science and participatory approaches to address environmental and societal challenges. By collaborating with the public, we not only enrich its scientific knowledge base but also enable individuals to gain valuable knowledge and skills that can inform decision-making processes. 

Recognising the importance of inclusivity and diversity, we foster collaborative learning through co-creation, education, science communication and adaptive planning. By integrating non-expert knowledge and diverse stakeholder perspectives, we ensure equitable and just responses to climate change and other global changes. We contribute to a sustainable society, where science and society converge to drive meaningful progress.  

Participatory and transdisciplinary approaches are therefore the foundational core of the subgroup.

Focus

This main focus is operationalised through three distinct research lines

• Scenarios and pathways
• Participatory knowledge creation and dissemination
• Education on sustainability

Water plays a vital role in land based mitigation and adaptation of climate change. Growth of natural vegetation and crops and soil organic matter decomposition are limited by water availability in many parts of the world, constraining the carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems, both natural and agricultural.

In a major project we study the interaction between water management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from organic soils in Dutch fen meadow landscapes. Evaporative cooling by vegetation can reduce local climate warming more directly, controlled by both the amount of vegetation and the water availability, making it a potential adaptation option. In multiple projects, we study the climate effects of land restoration efforts worldwide, both through the evaporation and GHG linkages. Adaptation to water and heat stress in crops also builds on the same expertise, and we use crop models to study the effect of especially climate variability to develop early warning systems and to contribute to more climate smart agriculture.

In this research theme we perform:

• Observations of greenhouse gas emissions and energy partitioning
• Remote sensing-based analysis of vegetation status and associated climate parameters
• Data-driven and process-based modelling. 

Food production in response to Nutrient and Water availability

Nutrient and water availability are interconnected to sustain sufficient and healthy food production. Water stress can limit the movement of nutrients to and within the plant, leading to nutrient deficiencies and reduced crop productivity. Conversely, nutrient deficiencies can reduce crop water-use efficiency, affecting overall plant health and productivity. In addition, nutrient interactions occur when one nutrient influences the uptake and utilization of another nutrient, either in a beneficial synergistic way or in an adverse antagonistic way. In this research line we assess those interactions on food production.

Interactions between food production and soil health

Soil health is highly relevant for sustainable food production as it plays a crucial role in the overall productivity and resilience of agricultural systems. Healthy soils are not just a growing medium for crops, but they regulate and support essential ecosystem services, such as water purification, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling, and they provide habitats for biodiversity. In this research line we focus on the fate of major nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) and metals/minor nutrients (Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Mo, B) in soils and their impacts on soil health in interaction with soil properties including pH, CEC, and contents of soil organic matter, clay and Al and Fe oxides.

Interactions between food production and environment

Agriculture faces several challenges that require innovative solutions to ensure sustainable food production and address global food security. Sustainable means here that undesired carbon, nutrient and pollutant fluxes, negatively affecting air and water quality and biodiversity, are avoided or minimized without negative impacts on food production and food quality. In this research line we focus on the identification of optimum land use practices in view of an optimal balance between food production, accumulation in soil and losses to air and water, using empirical and process based model approaches.

Focus

In the Water, Climate, Food subgroup we aim to better quantify the current and future availability of our freshwater resources and how much we can use in a sustainable way. We specifically focus on studying the impacts and trade-offs between water used for food, energy, and needed to maintain a healthy environment. In addition, we quantify the current and future dependency of crop production on sufficient water and how water scarcity or flooding will impact crop production and food security. Finally, we evaluate potential adaptation pathways to ‘bend the trend’ towards a more water and food secure world.  

Approach

We use novel and unique numerical models at scales from global to regional. A specific aim of the regional-scale modelling is to ensure that scientific knowledge truly meets the needs in generating sustainable solutions and to make sure that management interventions will not have unwanted side-effects. Regions where our regional scale research is focussed on are, for example, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Multiple sectors are increasingly aware how vulnerable our society is to the impacts of climate change. Following the rapid increase of monitoring of climate data there is a need to transform these into climate information services and adaptive planning. This includes ICT-tools, relevant products and aligned services such as capacity building, education, and networking to benefit society at all scales.

To achieve that, the human component needs also to be taken into account to deliver research-based, tailor-made water & climate information services.

Our ambitions are

• To contribute to the development of synergetic interventions to reduce water pollution and impacts on society and ecosystems across water bodies and scales under global change;
• To become an inspiring social subgroup where its members interact openly and have opportunities to develop their skills (e.g., leadership, communication);
• To educate BSc, MSc and PhD students in water quality knowledge and integrated approaches;
• Engage in (inter)national initiatives on water quality to support policy development;
• Advocate transition towards clean water futures globally.

Our research focuses on assessing water pollution hotspots, sources, impacts, and trends in time and space. We contribute to a better understanding of interactions between water quality, society and ecosystems. We identify synergetic interventions for water quality improvements across water bodies and scales. For this, we develop innovative modelling tools to assess water quality and impacts, and explore interventions. We do this across four main research lines: 

• Multiple pollutants
• Human health
• Lakes
• Water-food interactions

Multiple pollutants

Water systems are increasingly becoming polluted by for example plastics, nutrients, and chemicals. These global water quality issues should be tackled to ensure clean water for society and nature. In this research line we develop the multi-pollutant models for water pollution issues under global change. Those models are used to identify multi-pollutant hotspots, their causes, but also to explore strategies for over 10,000 rivers in the world. 

Lakes

Algal blooms turn lakes into toxic soups. Why are we unable to prevent them? In this research line we study the interaction between society and environment to find new solutions to prevent algal blooms. These solutions will help us to restore our lakes back to a healthy environment.

Human health

In this research line we apply systems approaches to the field of water quality and health. We mostly develop and use water quality and health risk models to do scenario analyses to understand global change impacts on waterborne pathogens and diseases, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of management interventions. We do this at different scales and resolutions, often together with stakeholders. This way, we hope to contribute to solving environmental and health problems worldwide.

Water-food interactions

Food production is one of the most important sources of water pollution worldwide. In this research theme, we investigate how agricultural practices, especially nutrient management, impact water quality. We develop water quality models to study these effects, aiming to understand how food production contributes to water pollution and, conversely, how water pollution control practices affect agriculture. Our goal is to identify sustainable solutions that ensure both water and food security. This work is crucial for creating strategies that maintain clean water while guaranteeing sufficient food production.