Explaining inertia in restoring estuarine dynamics in the Haringvliet (The Netherlands)

Water Policy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 880-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Koenraad Marks ◽  
Lasse Martijn Gerrits ◽  
Sandra Bakker ◽  
Edwin Tromp
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Estuarine Environment ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Policy Proposal ◽  
Dutch Delta ◽  
Small Change ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Over Time

Following the 1953 flood, the Dutch delta has been shut off from the sea by a series of dams and dykes. This closing-off transformed the delta from a constantly changing estuarine environment into a freshwater body. A different way of thinking about ‘nature’ in the period 1970–1980 led to the policy proposal to transform the Haringvliet, one of the shut-off water bodies, back to its natural state. The intended first step was a minor change in the sluice control of the dam that separates the Haringvliet from the sea. However minor, this step was never taken and it is still an ongoing policy debate whether the sluice should be slightly opened or not. This paper presents a coevolutionary analysis of why such a seemingly small change could take so much time and effort to become actualized. We demonstrate that the course of the policy process is determined through patterns of reciprocity between the physical and societal systems. Effects of measures are unpredictable, and the desired state of this water basin greatly varies between actors and over time. It is a combination of these factors that explains why the sluice control has not been changed yet.

scholarly journals Trends and Inequalities in Overall and Abdominal Obesity by Sociodemographic Factors in Korean Adults, 1998–2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4162
Author(s):  
Ha-Jin Jang ◽  
Hannah Oh
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Abdominal Obesity ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Nutrition Examination Survey ◽  
Obesity Prevalence ◽  
Korean Adults ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Education College ◽  
Small Change ◽  
Over Time

Few studies have comprehensively examined the nationwide trends in overall and abdominal obesity prevalence and related sociodemographic inequalities in Korea. In the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1998–2018, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence of overall (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥ 90 cm men, ≥85 cm women) in each sociodemographic subgroup of Korean adults (aged 19–79 years). For each survey year, weighted logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between obesity prevalence and sociodemographic factors. During the study period, the prevalence of overall and abdominal obesity increased in men (24.8% to 42.4%; 20.1% to 32.1%; respectively) but only a small change was observed in women (26.5% to 26.0%; 22.7% to 20.9%; respectively). Obesity prevalence increased in all sociodemographic groups of men but varied across groups in women. In women, income (4th vs. 1st quartiles in 2016–2018: OR (95% CI) = 0.66 (0.56–0.78) overall obesity; 0.60 (0.51–0.71) abdominal obesity) and education (college or higher vs. high school or less: 0.62 (0.54–0.72) overall obesity; 0.58 (0.50–0.68) abdominal obesity) were inversely associated with obesity prevalence, and the gaps became more pronounced since 2007. Our data suggest that the inequalities in obesity prevalence by sex and by socioeconomic status have become more apparent over time in Korea.

Voluntary food fortification policy in Australia: did ‘formal’ stakeholder consultation influence the outcome?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn Ashton ◽  
Cassandra Star ◽  
Mark Lawrence ◽  
John Coveney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Stakeholder Consultation ◽  
Regulatory Decision ◽  
Food Regulation ◽  
Ministerial Council

Summary This research aimed to understand how the policy was represented as a ‘problem’ in food regulatory decision-making in Australia, and the implications for public health nutrition engagement with policy development processes. Bacchi’s ‘what’s the problem represented to be?’ discourse analysis method was applied to a case study of voluntary food fortification policy (VFP) developed by the then Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) between 2002 and 2012. As a consultative process is a legislated aspect of food regulatory policy development in Australia, written stakeholder submissions contributed most of the key documents ascertained as relevant to the case. Four major categories of stakeholder were identified in the data; citizen, public health, government and industry. Predictably, citizen, government and public health stakeholders primarily represented voluntary food fortification (VF) as a problem of public health, while industry stakeholders represented it as a problem of commercial benefit. This reflected expected differences regarding decision-making control and power over regulatory activity. However, at both the outset and conclusion of the policy process, the ANZFRMC represented the problem of VF as commercial benefit, suggesting that in this case, a period of ‘formal’ stakeholder consultation did not alter the outcome. This research indicates that in VFP, the policy debate was fought and won at the initial framing of the problem in the earliest stages of the policy process. Consequently, if public health nutritionists leave their participation in the process until formal consultation stages, the opportunity to influence policy may already be lost.

scholarly journals Trends in Wage Inequality in the Netherlands

De Economist ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colja Schneck
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Wage Inequality ◽  
Wage Distribution ◽  
Labor Market Institutions ◽  
Market Institutions ◽  
Educational Degree ◽  
Over Time

AbstractIn this paper I analyze changes in the wage distribution in the Netherlands. I use a matched employer-employee dataset that covers the population of employees. Wage inequality increases over the period of 2001–2016. Changes in between-firm wage components are responsible for nearly the entire increase. Increases in the variance of workers’ skills and increases in worker sorting and worker segregation explain the majority of the rise in the variance of wages. These changes are accompanied by a pattern where variation in educational degree and firm average wages become more correlated over time. Finally, it is suggested that labor market institutions in the Netherlands play an important role in mediating overall wage inequality.

Leven met water

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-268
Author(s):  
MICHEL LASCARIS
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Digital Map ◽  
Digital Maps ◽  
Pumping Stations ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
New Research ◽  
Over Time

Living with water. The Dijkenkaart of the Netherlands De Cultural Heritage Agency made an interesting digital map (in GIS) of all the dikes in the Netherlands. This was possible by using existing digital maps, but new research was necessary to make this general overview. There was discussion about the dating of dikes, because dikes can be of medieval origin, but were adjusted over time. Besides dikes, researchers find GIS and historical information on poldermills, kolks, reclamations and pumping stations. That is why this map is called ‘Living with water’, because this information can help addressing new challenges in climate adaptation strategies dealing with water. Everyone can take a look, or download the map in GIS, on www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/bronnen-en-kaarten/overzicht/levenmet-water-kaart.

scholarly journals Newspaper attention and policy activities in Spain

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Chaqués Bonafont ◽  
Frank R. Baumgartner
Keyword(s):  
Policy Process ◽  
Front Page ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
Comprehensive Database ◽  
Media System ◽  
The Media ◽  
Over Time

AbstractSpain's newspapers are characterised by strong partisan identities. We demonstrate that the two leading newspapers nonetheless show powerful similarities in the topics of their coverage over time. The media system is strongly related to the policy process and it shows similar levels of skew (attention focuses on just a few topics) and friction (attention lurches rapidly from topic to topic) as others have shown for policy processes more generally. Further, media attention is significantly related to parliamentary activities. Oral questions in parliament track closely with media attention over time. Our assessment is based on a comprehensive database of all front-page stories (over 95,000 stories) in El País and El Mundo, Spain's largest daily newspapers, and all 7,446 oral questions from 1996 to 2009. The paper shows that explanations of friction and skew in governmental activities should incorporate media dynamics as well. Political leaders are clearly sensitive to media salience.

scholarly journals Spontaneous shape transition of Mn x Ge1− x islands to long nanowires

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 366-374
Author(s):  
S Javad Rezvani ◽  
Luc Favre ◽  
Gabriele Giuli ◽  
Yiming Wubulikasimu ◽  
Isabelle Berbezier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Shape Transition ◽  
Transition Mechanism ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Alloy Nanowires ◽  
Elongation Process ◽  
Homogeneous Composition ◽  
Small Change ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Synthesis Approach

We report experimental evidence for a spontaneous shape transition, from regular islands to elongated nanowires, upon high-temperature annealing of a thin Mn wetting layer evaporated on Ge(111). We demonstrate that 4.5 monolayers is the critical thickness of the Mn layer, governing the shape transition to wires. A small change around this value modulates the geometry of the nanostructures. The Mn–Ge alloy nanowires are single-crystalline structures with homogeneous composition and uniform width along their length. The shape evolution towards nanowires occurs for islands with a mean size of ≃170 nm. The wires, up to ≃1.1 μm long, asymptotically tend to ≃80 nm of width. We found that tuning the annealing process allows one to extend the wire length up to ≃1.5 μm with a minor rise of the lateral size to ≃100 nm. The elongation process of the nanostructures is in agreement with a strain-driven shape transition mechanism proposed in the literature for other heteroepitaxial systems. Our study gives experimental evidence for the spontaneous formation of spatially uniform and compositionally homogeneous Mn-rich GeMn nanowires on Ge(111). The reliable and simple synthesis approach allows one to exploit the room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of the Mn–Ge alloy to design and fabricate novel nanodevices.

The University of Groningen in the World

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaas Berkel ◽  
Guus Termeer
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of The University ◽  
International University ◽  
Religious Reasons ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

The University of Groningen has been an international university since its foundation in 1614. The first professors formed a rich international community, and many students came from outside the Netherlands, especially from areas now belonging to Germany. Internationalization, a popular slogan nowadays, is therefore nothing new, but its meaning has changed over time. How did the University of Groningen grow from a provincial institution established for religious reasons into a top-100 university with 36,000 students, of whom 25% come from abroad and almost half of the academic staff is of foreign descent? What is the identity of this four-century-old university that is still strongly anchored in the northern part of the Netherlands but that also has a mind that is open to the world? The history of the university, as told by Klaas van Berkel and Guus Termeer, ends with a short paragraph on the impact of the corona crisis.

Laissez-Faire Activism

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Colander ◽  
Roland Kupers
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Environment ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Social Goals ◽  
Embryonic Stage ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Small Change ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Policy Solutions ◽  
The Way

This chapter reconsiders the structure and governance issues of corporations and enterprises more generally as a concrete example of how a complexity approach changes the way we think about policy. It shows how a small change in the ecostructure, especially when applied at the formative embryonic stage of emerging institutions, can fundamentally change society from the bottom up, without massive state intervention. It argues that over time in some important sectors of the economy where social goals are important, existing for-profit and nonprofit enterprises can be replaced by socially friendly for-benefit enterprises, which are designed to allow social goals to be achieved in a sustainable way from the bottom up. The goal of the policy being advocated is to encourage the development of an institutional environment that is friendly to bottom-up policy solutions so that new socially focused enterprises can emerge and develop.

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