Our mission is to address the growing issue of global wildfires caused by climate change. Despite urban development, the Netherlands remains insufficiently prepared for these impending landscape fires. Together, we seek innovative ways to prevent these fires.
This mission is complex due to varying interests. We strive for nature conservation, agriculture, recreation, and fire safety. Your role in the Dream Team involves devising solutions that accommodate all stakeholders.
Due to climate change, wildfire risk and danger have increased in the Netherlands. In the past year, our team has investigated Wildfires as a wicked problem. Given the complexity, we focused on investigating this issue through three main points: vegetation/weather indexes, stakeholders' policy perspectives, and PPE material for firefighter uniforms. We strive to communicate the multifaceted Wicked Problem of Wildfires, contribute to educating the public, and create a space for stakeholders to discuss possible policy and technological changes.
Supervisor/ambassador: Niels van Manen
Niels van Manen (School of Business and Economics) is coordinator of the research programme, “Landscapes in Transition” at the VU interfaculty institute, CLUE+. His research focuses on the use of GIS and participatory methods to support the transformation of cultural landscapes. He is a member of the VU Fire Research network and in 2022 led the VU Top Talent Team “Burning Lowlands”. Niels is an experienced lecturer and has led several interdisciplinary study programmes and courses at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels. He is also an instructor and researcher at the VU Centre for Teaching and Learning.
Supervisor/ambassador: Thomas Janssen
Thomas Janssen (Earth Sciences) is a postdoctoral researcher in the Earth and Climate cluster. He specializes in understanding global ecosystem dynamics, particularly their responses to deforestation, drought, and fires. Over the last nine years, he has conducted research on a wide range of ecosystems, including tropical, temperate, and boreal forests, tropical savannas, and arctic tundra, spanning four continents. Within the VU Earth Sciences department, Thomas contributed to various BSc and MSc level courses in fields such as ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, and earth observation. Additionally, he has provided guidance and supervision for multiple BSc, MSc and PhD thesis projects.
This team is linked to the Connected World profile theme.