My research contributes to the study of modes of environmental governance and their relationship with sustainable development. I have carried out projects on water governance, flood risk governance, knowledge co-creation in regional climate adaptation projects, relationships between water companies and consumers and on innovation in wastewater management systems in a Western context.
As coordinator and contributor, I am involved in BSc and MSc level courses, including: Environmental Policy Evaluation and Design (2nd year bachelor; coordinator); Sustainable Land Use (3rd year bachelor), Bachelor thesis Environmental Social Sciences (supervisor and coordinator); Master thesis Sustainable Development (supervisor); Research Design (Masters).
Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 2024
In recent years, the conceptualization and application of the WEF and later WEFE nexus in science... more In recent years, the conceptualization and application of the WEF and later WEFE nexus in science, policy and practice has progressed significantly. Despite the transboundary nature of sustainability and WEFE nexus issues, research on WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary context is less developed. WEFE nexus governance refers to societal decision-making to address challenges related to goals, actors and actor networks, scales, institutions and resources. In this paper, we explore the governance challenges encountered when implementing WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary setting. To identify these challenges in practice, we conducted a WEFE nexus governance and policy coherence assessment in two transboundary case studies: the Lielupe river basin and Mesta-Nestos river basin. Our analysis shows that in both cases the governance arrangements are restrictive towards WEFE nexus governance. Based on the factors contributing to the degree of restrictiveness, we identify four key conditions to overcome the transboundary governance challenges: (1) awareness of WEFE nexus interlinkages at all governmental levels; (2) local crossborder and sectoral communication and trust; (3) addressing issues at the appropriate level; and (4) adequate resources and natural resource monitoring across sectors. These conditions lead to recommendations to proceed towards more integrated approaches to transboundary WEFE nexus governance.
Diversification of Flood Risk Management Strategies is accompanied by a diversification in rules ... more Diversification of Flood Risk Management Strategies is accompanied by a diversification in rules and regulations. However, in some cases a lack of rules can be witnessed, especially in cases in which certain strategies have not yet been implemented to a significant extent. This chapter reviews several of these rules, including the Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC). While we found evidence that supports its general scope, we also discuss points at which the Directive or its implementation can still be improved, most notably by adding more substantive requirements and increasing its enforceability. Regarding resources (finance, knowledge, skills, ICT tools, public support) we found that their availability differs significantly between countries. This may be problematic since the lack of resources was shown to be an important reason for underinvestment in and underdevelopment of FRM strategies. An important policy issue for the coming years will be to have political debate and make political choices in order to combine the (perceived and sometimes already legally settled) ‘right to be protected’ of citizens by public authorities with the decreasing resource base many public authorities are facing. Resources may also play a key role in bridging, for instance by ensuring that actors involved have the necessary skills, and that private actors receive sufficient payment to increase their willingness to let their land function as flood storage.
Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e.... more Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e. a value judgement about the desirability of a certain situation. Anthropogenic land subsidence, contributing to relative sea-level rise in the economically important Western peatland areas in the Netherlands is a case in point. The implementation of mitigation, adaptation and compensation measures is lagging, partly due to science-policy interaction problems potentially leading to conflicts between stakeholders, including agrarians, climate scientists and inhabitants. We find that professional normative judgement is enhanced when researchers and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.
Go to AGRIS search. Try it! Environmental innovation in urban water management: social opportunit... more Go to AGRIS search. Try it! Environmental innovation in urban water management: social opportunities and risks. Hegger, DLT. Date of publication, 2005. AGRIS Categories, Natural resources. Language, English. ISBN, 9064649367. Type, Part of book or chapter of book. Pagination, 124 - 127. Source, Wetenschap met beleid, beleid met wetenschap. Submitted by: Wageningen UR, Library, Service Desk (Netherlands). Wageningen Campus, Bldg 102, Droevendaalsesteeg 2, 6708 PB Wageningen. Post Office Box 9100, 6700 HA Wageningen. ...
Laat het goede van twee wereld bloeien, dat is de reactie van Dries Hegger van de Universiteit Wa... more Laat het goede van twee wereld bloeien, dat is de reactie van Dries Hegger van de Universiteit Wageningen op de discussie over de vraag of centrale waterbehandeling beter is dan decentrale waterbehandeling. Het Wetsus-congres van 6 september heeft de discussie hierover weer opgerakeld. Hegger pleit ervoor om te zoeken naar nieuwe elementen in bestaande watersystemen. Ook de maatschappelijke factor moet volgens hem niet worden vergeten. Als burgers wc's willen die een einde maken aan het gespetter van mannelijk plassen dan ligt de kans voor nutriëntenkringloop voor het oprapen.
The question how Western societies should deal with domestic wastewater is currently subject to d... more The question how Western societies should deal with domestic wastewater is currently subject to debate. A wide range of social actors experiments with new wastewater management technologies in pilot projects. Besides water managers, these social actors include various other institutional actors as well as citizen-consumers. Innovation in wastewater infrastructures is of sociological relevance as the interests of these actors differ, while they hold different views on how technology development takes place, or should ...
Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e.... more Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e. a value judgement about the desirability of a certain situation. Anthropogenic land subsidence, contributing to relative sea-level rise in the economically important Western peatland areas in the Netherlands is a case in point. The implementation of mitigation, adaptation and compensation measures is lagging, partly due to science-policy interaction problems potentially leading to conflicts between stakeholders, including agrarians, climate scientists and inhabitants. We find that professional normative judgement is enhanced when researchers and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.
The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. N... more The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. Nonetheless, in asset management practice, stakeholder engagement is still often applied in an unsystematised and ad hoc manner. By proposing a framework of considerations for the deliberate design of stakeholder engagement, this study aims to contribute to the realisation of integrated asset management by offering a means to explicate the often implicit considerations regarding stakeholder engagement. By providing a conceptual exploration, as well as an analysis of three asset management cases in the Netherlands, this article provides building blocks for deliberate stakeholder engagement, guided by consideration of the mission, local context, and available time. Taking the daily reality of asset managers as a reference, this study develops a synthesis between literature on stakeholder engagement and asset management, hereby showing that both material and relational considerations should be made deliberately in all phases of an asset management project.
The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. N... more The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. Nonetheless, in asset management practice, stakeholder engagement is still often applied in an unsystematised and ad hoc manner. By proposing a framework of considerations for the deliberate design of stakeholder engagement, this study aims to contribute to the realisation of integrated asset management by offering a means to explicate the often implicit considerations regarding stakeholder engagement. By providing a conceptual exploration, as well as an analysis of three asset management cases in the Netherlands, this article provides building blocks for deliberate stakeholder engagement, guided by consideration of the mission, local context, and available time. Taking the daily reality of asset managers as a reference, this study develops a synthesis between literature on stakeholder engagement and asset management, hereby showing that both material and relational considerations should be made deliberately in all phases of an asset management project.
In the domain of climate change adaptation we see various efforts at joint knowledge production (... more In the domain of climate change adaptation we see various efforts at joint knowledge production (JNP) through intensive cooperation between scientists, policymakers and other actors. Regional climate change adaptation projects in The Netherlands form prominent examples of this. In literature and in practice, claims have been made that joint knowledge production provides a useful way to reconcile supply and demand for knowledge. However, there is a lack of systematic empirical studies on how to successfully ‘do’ this. Existing research is restricted to conceptual analyses and fragmented empirical studies. This paper, on the contrary, aims to generate design principles. It does so by confronting a previously-developed assessment framework with empirical reality in six Dutch adaptation projects. Project documents were studied and 30 semi-structured interviews with researchers, policymakers and project financiers in the projects were held. Based on the comparison, the paper derives and ...
Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 2024
In recent years, the conceptualization and application of the WEF and later WEFE nexus in science... more In recent years, the conceptualization and application of the WEF and later WEFE nexus in science, policy and practice has progressed significantly. Despite the transboundary nature of sustainability and WEFE nexus issues, research on WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary context is less developed. WEFE nexus governance refers to societal decision-making to address challenges related to goals, actors and actor networks, scales, institutions and resources. In this paper, we explore the governance challenges encountered when implementing WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary setting. To identify these challenges in practice, we conducted a WEFE nexus governance and policy coherence assessment in two transboundary case studies: the Lielupe river basin and Mesta-Nestos river basin. Our analysis shows that in both cases the governance arrangements are restrictive towards WEFE nexus governance. Based on the factors contributing to the degree of restrictiveness, we identify four key conditions to overcome the transboundary governance challenges: (1) awareness of WEFE nexus interlinkages at all governmental levels; (2) local crossborder and sectoral communication and trust; (3) addressing issues at the appropriate level; and (4) adequate resources and natural resource monitoring across sectors. These conditions lead to recommendations to proceed towards more integrated approaches to transboundary WEFE nexus governance.
Diversification of Flood Risk Management Strategies is accompanied by a diversification in rules ... more Diversification of Flood Risk Management Strategies is accompanied by a diversification in rules and regulations. However, in some cases a lack of rules can be witnessed, especially in cases in which certain strategies have not yet been implemented to a significant extent. This chapter reviews several of these rules, including the Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC). While we found evidence that supports its general scope, we also discuss points at which the Directive or its implementation can still be improved, most notably by adding more substantive requirements and increasing its enforceability. Regarding resources (finance, knowledge, skills, ICT tools, public support) we found that their availability differs significantly between countries. This may be problematic since the lack of resources was shown to be an important reason for underinvestment in and underdevelopment of FRM strategies. An important policy issue for the coming years will be to have political debate and make political choices in order to combine the (perceived and sometimes already legally settled) ‘right to be protected’ of citizens by public authorities with the decreasing resource base many public authorities are facing. Resources may also play a key role in bridging, for instance by ensuring that actors involved have the necessary skills, and that private actors receive sufficient payment to increase their willingness to let their land function as flood storage.
Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e.... more Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e. a value judgement about the desirability of a certain situation. Anthropogenic land subsidence, contributing to relative sea-level rise in the economically important Western peatland areas in the Netherlands is a case in point. The implementation of mitigation, adaptation and compensation measures is lagging, partly due to science-policy interaction problems potentially leading to conflicts between stakeholders, including agrarians, climate scientists and inhabitants. We find that professional normative judgement is enhanced when researchers and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.
Go to AGRIS search. Try it! Environmental innovation in urban water management: social opportunit... more Go to AGRIS search. Try it! Environmental innovation in urban water management: social opportunities and risks. Hegger, DLT. Date of publication, 2005. AGRIS Categories, Natural resources. Language, English. ISBN, 9064649367. Type, Part of book or chapter of book. Pagination, 124 - 127. Source, Wetenschap met beleid, beleid met wetenschap. Submitted by: Wageningen UR, Library, Service Desk (Netherlands). Wageningen Campus, Bldg 102, Droevendaalsesteeg 2, 6708 PB Wageningen. Post Office Box 9100, 6700 HA Wageningen. ...
Laat het goede van twee wereld bloeien, dat is de reactie van Dries Hegger van de Universiteit Wa... more Laat het goede van twee wereld bloeien, dat is de reactie van Dries Hegger van de Universiteit Wageningen op de discussie over de vraag of centrale waterbehandeling beter is dan decentrale waterbehandeling. Het Wetsus-congres van 6 september heeft de discussie hierover weer opgerakeld. Hegger pleit ervoor om te zoeken naar nieuwe elementen in bestaande watersystemen. Ook de maatschappelijke factor moet volgens hem niet worden vergeten. Als burgers wc's willen die een einde maken aan het gespetter van mannelijk plassen dan ligt de kans voor nutriëntenkringloop voor het oprapen.
The question how Western societies should deal with domestic wastewater is currently subject to d... more The question how Western societies should deal with domestic wastewater is currently subject to debate. A wide range of social actors experiments with new wastewater management technologies in pilot projects. Besides water managers, these social actors include various other institutional actors as well as citizen-consumers. Innovation in wastewater infrastructures is of sociological relevance as the interests of these actors differ, while they hold different views on how technology development takes place, or should ...
Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e.... more Science-policy interactions can both facilitate and hamper professional normative judgement, i.e. a value judgement about the desirability of a certain situation. Anthropogenic land subsidence, contributing to relative sea-level rise in the economically important Western peatland areas in the Netherlands is a case in point. The implementation of mitigation, adaptation and compensation measures is lagging, partly due to science-policy interaction problems potentially leading to conflicts between stakeholders, including agrarians, climate scientists and inhabitants. We find that professional normative judgement is enhanced when researchers and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.
The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. N... more The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. Nonetheless, in asset management practice, stakeholder engagement is still often applied in an unsystematised and ad hoc manner. By proposing a framework of considerations for the deliberate design of stakeholder engagement, this study aims to contribute to the realisation of integrated asset management by offering a means to explicate the often implicit considerations regarding stakeholder engagement. By providing a conceptual exploration, as well as an analysis of three asset management cases in the Netherlands, this article provides building blocks for deliberate stakeholder engagement, guided by consideration of the mission, local context, and available time. Taking the daily reality of asset managers as a reference, this study develops a synthesis between literature on stakeholder engagement and asset management, hereby showing that both material and relational considerations should be made deliberately in all phases of an asset management project.
The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. N... more The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. Nonetheless, in asset management practice, stakeholder engagement is still often applied in an unsystematised and ad hoc manner. By proposing a framework of considerations for the deliberate design of stakeholder engagement, this study aims to contribute to the realisation of integrated asset management by offering a means to explicate the often implicit considerations regarding stakeholder engagement. By providing a conceptual exploration, as well as an analysis of three asset management cases in the Netherlands, this article provides building blocks for deliberate stakeholder engagement, guided by consideration of the mission, local context, and available time. Taking the daily reality of asset managers as a reference, this study develops a synthesis between literature on stakeholder engagement and asset management, hereby showing that both material and relational considerations should be made deliberately in all phases of an asset management project.
In the domain of climate change adaptation we see various efforts at joint knowledge production (... more In the domain of climate change adaptation we see various efforts at joint knowledge production (JNP) through intensive cooperation between scientists, policymakers and other actors. Regional climate change adaptation projects in The Netherlands form prominent examples of this. In literature and in practice, claims have been made that joint knowledge production provides a useful way to reconcile supply and demand for knowledge. However, there is a lack of systematic empirical studies on how to successfully ‘do’ this. Existing research is restricted to conceptual analyses and fragmented empirical studies. This paper, on the contrary, aims to generate design principles. It does so by confronting a previously-developed assessment framework with empirical reality in six Dutch adaptation projects. Project documents were studied and 30 semi-structured interviews with researchers, policymakers and project financiers in the projects were held. Based on the comparison, the paper derives and ...
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Papers by Dries Hegger
transboundary setting. To identify these challenges in practice, we conducted a WEFE nexus governance and policy coherence assessment in two transboundary case studies: the Lielupe river basin and Mesta-Nestos river basin. Our analysis shows that in both cases the governance arrangements are restrictive towards WEFE nexus governance. Based on the factors contributing to the degree of restrictiveness, we identify four key conditions to overcome the transboundary governance challenges:
(1) awareness of WEFE nexus interlinkages at all governmental levels; (2) local crossborder and sectoral communication and trust; (3) addressing issues at the appropriate level; and (4) adequate resources and natural resource monitoring across sectors. These conditions lead to recommendations to proceed towards more integrated approaches to transboundary WEFE nexus governance.
and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.
transboundary setting. To identify these challenges in practice, we conducted a WEFE nexus governance and policy coherence assessment in two transboundary case studies: the Lielupe river basin and Mesta-Nestos river basin. Our analysis shows that in both cases the governance arrangements are restrictive towards WEFE nexus governance. Based on the factors contributing to the degree of restrictiveness, we identify four key conditions to overcome the transboundary governance challenges:
(1) awareness of WEFE nexus interlinkages at all governmental levels; (2) local crossborder and sectoral communication and trust; (3) addressing issues at the appropriate level; and (4) adequate resources and natural resource monitoring across sectors. These conditions lead to recommendations to proceed towards more integrated approaches to transboundary WEFE nexus governance.
and societal stakeholders reflect more critically on their role and engage in more inclusive science-policy interactions.