Welcome, Mohammed! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

“My name is Mohammed Abubakr. I am originally from Sudan and currently living in the Netherlands. I have a master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing, a bachelor’s degree in Geoinformatics, and a diploma in Cartography. My professional focus includes cartography, climate analysis, water resources, land use, and risk assessment.”

What will you do at CAS?

“During my internship at CAS, I am contributing to the SAFE4ALL Africa project. My role involves acquiring, analyzing, and processing climate datasets, and applying spatial technologies to develop climate atlases that support climate-informed adaptation decisions across African countries.”

What do you do besides your studies and internship?

“Alongside my academic and professional work, I continue to develop my skills and am currently learning Dutch. I also participate in volunteer activities. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, staying active through sports, and spending quality time with friends.”

Welcome, Isabel! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your studies?

“Hi! I’m Isabel, I’m 25 years old and I live in Utrecht. After finishing my Bachelor’s in International Development, I wanted to focus more on climate change. Right now, I’m in the final phase of my Master’s in Climate Studies at Wageningen University, where I mainly focus on climate change adaptation. After this internship at CAS, I should be officially graduated.”

What will you be doing at CAS?

“I’ll mainly be working on the SAFE4ALL project, developing a climate story. This climate story is meant for communities in northern Ghana. To do this, I’ll be looking into the effects of climate change on agriculture in the region, and how this impacts food security and migration. Many of the topics I studied will come together in this project with CAS and SAFE4ALL. I also really enjoy the international focus of this specific project!”

What do you do outside of studying and your internship?

“In my free time, I enjoy running, reading books, playing the guitar, swimming, drinking coffee, and wandering through the city. I also really love camping, travelling, and going on city trips to discover new places. On top of that, many of my friends live in Utrecht, so I see them almost every day!”

What is the Dutch Climate Risk Portal going to be?

Lars: “The Dutch Climate Risk Portal is intended to be the primary hub for national and international companies and the financial sector to find information and data on the physical climate risks for the Netherlands, such as floods, heat waves and other extreme weather events.”

Why is it important to have this portal?

Detmer: “There is a lot of information and data about how we deal with climate risks in the Netherlands. But this is often hard to find and also difficult to interpret. As a result, misunderstandings frequently arise, leading people to believe that the Dutch delta region is more vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather than it actually is.

What are the common misconceptions about the Dutch delta region?

Detmer: “For example, the Netherlands frequently appears on lists of countries with high flood risks, primarily because one-third of the Netherlands is below sea level. This affects the choices companies and the financial sector make nationally and internationally about investments, financing and insurance. While we, as the Netherlands, consider ourselves the best protected delta in the world, it is essential to substantiate and communnicate this fact effectively.”

Lars: “For example, credit rating agencies analyze the financial risks in the Netherlands. It is increasingly becoming important for such organizations to conduct stress tests in which they include climate risks. But to perform such stress tests, they need to have the right knowledge and data. The portal aims to address the needs of companies by providing centralized insights into all physical climate risks relevant to the Netherlands, how we manage them as a country and where to find the necessary data.”

How important is climate risk information to the private sector?

Detmer: “The demand for reliable data on climate risks has grown tremendously in recent years and will only continue to grow in the coming years. Companies in the European Union are required by the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) to annually report climate risks and make policies accordingly. For large companies, this obligation applies from 2025 for reporting on the financial year 2024. In addition, banks and insurers are required by European regulators to report on the climate risks of their portfolios and take appropriate measures to manage these risks. As a result, the private sector increasingly needs high-quality data at the asset level, data on the current situation and various future scenarios. With this portal, we support the private sector create these reports and policies based on the right data. This way, the portal can have a meaningful impact and make an important contribution to a favorable business and investment climate in the Netherlands.”

Are climate risks mainly related to real estate?

Simone: “When people think of assets, they often first think of real estate, and it’s true that a lot of data is needed for this, for example, for a bank’s mortgage portfolio. But other sectors are also important for investors. How vulnerable is our agriculture to salinization? And what about our logistics sector? Could shipping suffer from prolonged periods of drought? And what could extreme heat mean for livestock transport? And what about our water supply for industry? Every sector needs climate risk data, and the portal brings this data together.”

Lars: “In addition to directing users to state-of-the-art maps on the Climate Impact Atlas or the National Information System for Water and Flooding (LIWO), we also provide context. What exactly are you talking about when discussing flood risks? Coastal flooding or river flooding? Flooded streets and roads due to heavy rainfall, or issues like mold and moisture in basements caused by high groundwater levels? And how does Dutch legislation address these risks? What is insurable and what is not? We also want to offer users the tools to start with an initial assessment themselves. And if they want to consult a consultancy firm, the portal helps them get the right support, which ultimately saves costs and leads to better knowledge.”

For whom is the Dutch Climate Risk Portal intended?

Detmer: “The portal is intended for both the national and international private sector. It’s for professionals from banks, pension funds, insurers, and real estate investors, as well as regulators and credit rating agencies. Additionally, it is intended for businesses more broadly. So, the portal can be useful for someone looking for climate risks associated with a particular investment or company. But it’s also meant for users who need analyses of entire portfolios.  The goal is to provide accurate and accessible information to this large and diverse professional audience.”

What climate themes do you focus on? Do you follow the Dutch DPRA themes of heat, drought, flooding, and sea level rise?

Lars: “Yes and no. As a basis, we use the so-called ‘EU Taxonomy’. It provides a clear structure that is used nationally and internationally for legislation and reporting. The ‘EU Taxonomy’ distinguishes between risks in the areas of temperature, wind, water, and soil. These are split into ‘acute risks’ and ‘chronic risks’. An example of an acute risk is a heavy downpour. Chronic risks develop gradually over time, such as sea level rise. On the portal, we provide insight into the risks defined by the ‘EU Taxonomy’, but we also link them to the themes of the Dutch Deltaprogramme for Spatial Adaptation (DPRA).”

When will the portal go live?

Simone: “Our goal is to make the portal available in the second or third quarter of 2025. For the climate data and climate hazard information provided on the portal, we are working closely with various content experts from the Dutch climate field. Additionally, the portal is being further developed in collaboration with the Climate Adaptation Working Group of the Platform for Sustainable Finance of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). This working group includes representatives from banks, investors, pension funds, insurers, various ministries, and the Delta Commissioner’s Office. Before the portal becomes publicly available, we will first have a beta version tested by a broader group of users.”

What do you hope to achieve with the portal?

Detmer: “The portal is primarily a data hub that we hope professionals will adopt as the ‘go-to place’ for climate data about the Netherlands, enabling better analysis and decision-making. Ultimately, we also hope that it will accelerate the development of climate data, and inspire dialogue between different experts and sectors about what data is needed and how to use it. For example, a company may be more interested in specific scenarios for dike breaches related to business continuity, while a mortgage lender would focus on the risks for specific buildings and portfolios. In the end, all these different parties should be able to make the right choices.”

Simone: “In addition: we hope to create a level playing field by making the same data available to everyone. This way, we can prevent some parties from having a better starting position than others.”

Help us develop the portal

To make sure the portal meets user needs, we have created a user group to help us test a beta version of the portal. Are you curious about the portal and want to contribute to its development? Then sign up as a tester via the application form.

What is Safe4All about?

Hasse: “The aim of the project is to make three African countries more resilient to the effects of climate change: Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. During the project climate tools will be co-developed, such as apps for farmers to receive weather forecasts. CAS creates tools for longer-term planning and decision-making. We develop the tools together with local partners and potential users. We are also developing a learning programme to support practitioners, such as climate service providers, policy officers and agricultural extension officers. And for us, this project offers an opportunity to bring the Climate Impact Atlas to Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya.”  

Want to know more about Safe4All? Then go to the project page 

A Climate Impact Atlas for Kenya sounds like a lot of work. How far along are you with that now?

Sophie: “We haven’t started from scratch. Between 2019 and 2022, we created a first version of the atlas. Thanks to the Safe4All project, we can continue with this. We are again working with our partners at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMD) to take the current atlas to the next level. This includes updating climate information and expanding the atlas to include four additional counties.”  

Hasse: “The Dutch Climate Impact Atlas started 15 years ago with two provinces. Over time, other provinces joined, and new research partners kept getting involved. We hope to see the same growth in Kenya, and then also in Ghana and Zimbabwe. By setting up these atlases, we also hope to create a lasting partnership between all kinds of organisations. In the Netherlands, for example, the KNMI regularly updates scenarios, while other research institutes keep maps on climate effects up to date.”  

What exactly did you do in Kenya?

Hasse: “On the second day, we held a workshop, for which we made final preparations with our partners on the day of arrival. For the workshop, more than 20 participants gathered at the hotel where we stayed. That hotel was a beautiful place where we enjoyed the local food and the warm atmosphere!”  

Sophie: “The participants came from four counties of Kenya: Narok, Nyandarua, Nairobi and Kisumu. Some had to travel six hours to attend. There were farmers from each county, extension workers, and representatives from ministries, JKUAT and KMD. Hasse and I hosted two sessions. During the first workshop, we wanted to hear directly from participants how they experience climate change in their communities. For this purpose, we had brought large posters with diagrams inspired by the NAS Adaptation Tool. The posters were incredibly effective in starting the conversation about the impacts of climate change.”   

Hasse: “Then we introduced the Adaptation Pyramid to start discussions on how to combat the impacts of climate change locally. We wanted to hear what participants thought about what measures would work best for their communities. During a lively and engaging session, each group created its own adaptation pyramid. It was incredibly fun – and also amazing – to see how well the pyramid works for Kenyan farming communities!”    

Are you happy with the results?

Sophie: “Absolutely! The participants shared so much valuable information! And it was great to see how excited everyone was to work together for the next three years. We also visited the headquarters of the KMD to discuss and confirm our collaboration. They are an important partner in the project, also because they provide data for the atlas.” 

And you went to Narok to meet farmers. How was that?

Sophie: “Visiting Narok was a unique and valuable experience. By engaging with local farmers, we were able to hear their stories and only really understand their challenges. The differences turned out to be huge. For example, we met John, a farmer who had cows, sheep and chickens and grew several crops. He used modern tools like online weather forecasting, a biogas system and an underground water storage. But uphill lived a small farming community that did not have these resources and struggled with water shortages. The residents looked to the stars and to animals and plants to predict the weather for the coming days.”   

Did you only work in Kenya? Or was there also time for relaxation?

Sophie: “We were definitely able to relax too, and especially enjoyed the beautiful nature. Kenya is a beautiful country. But you do realise during a visit that life there is hard, for example for all those farming communities now struggling with the effects of climate change. We hope that with the Climate Impact Atlas and the learning programme we can make a positive contribution in the Safe4All countries. In any case, we are determined to make it a success!” 

How did you experience the city of Gdynia?

“Throughout the project, I have collaborated with the city of Gdynia on the climate story. Therefore, I was eager to visit the city and see their adaptation efforts firsthand. I was impressed by the beautiful central park, which was recently finalised and has a huge diversity of plants and trees. Gdynia is renowned for its forests, and we were invited to experience a ‘forest bath’.”

A forest bath? What is that?

“We immersed ourselves in the forest for about two hours and did all kinds of exercises to activate our senses. Walking slowly for instance, to take in all the sounds and smells. With my eyes closed I had to feel and smell lavender. We also had to sit or stand still for 15 minutes, and just watch. Not much happened at first, but at some point certain things started to catch my eye, like the light, moss and mushrooms. It was a bit meditative all around. This ‘forest bath’ worked to relax everyone, so it was the ideal way to start this GA.”

Sounds wonderful! And what was the goal of the General Assembly?

“Since the project is in its final year, we focused on activities that can increase the outreach and that ensure that the tools we developed will actually be used. We had an interesting discussion about the ‘demonstrators’, that aim to inspire cities from outside REACHOUT to apply methods and tools from the project. In addition, our colleague Eva Boon presented her PhD research project on the framework of successful climate services.”

What will you be doing in this final year?

“As I have been working on climate stories, I am currently developing a guide on how to create a climate story together with my colleagues from CAS and NGI. Additionally, I am contributing to the demonstrator on cities that are in the early stages of adaptation. We aim to make REACHOUT and its triple-A toolkit practical and useful for European cities.”

Interested in knowing more about REACHOUT? Follow REACHOUT on LinkedIn! You can also visit the project page on this website or visit the REACHOUT website.

What can you do with the Neighbourhood Dashboard?

With the Neighbourhood Dashboard you get a quick insight into how climate-proof neighbourhoods are. For example, you can find out how green a neighbourhood is or what perceived temperatures are most common on a hot summer day. You can compare the statistics with neighbourhoods of the same type or with the rest of the municipality. The Neighbourhood Dashboard can also help determine which challgens are most urgent or where the most opportunities for climate adaptation lie.

For whom is the Neighbourhood Dashboard a useful tool?

The Neighbourhood Dashboard was developed for municipalities. But other parties who want to work on climate adaptation can also use it. For example, it is also a useful tool for education purposes.

What is the information from the dashboard based on?

Much of the information in the Neighbourhood Dashboard comes directly from the Climate Impact Atlas, but some data comes from other sources, such as CBS and RIVM.

Why a separate section for the Caribbean?

Climate change has a major impact on the Caribbean islands. The consequences of climate change there are also different from those in the European Netherlands. This means that these islands need a dedicated central location where they can with climate information. This is only logical, as from a political perspective, the Caribbean islands hold a special position within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom, as is the Netherlands. The public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (the BES islands) enjoy a separate status as special municipalities of the Netherlands.

Knowledge to make islands more resilient

For the section on the Caribbean, we have compiled as much information as possible on climate change and climate adaptation on the islands. What consequences does climate change have in the Caribbean? What is already happening on climate adaptation? What local and regional networks are working on this? And what relevant research has been conducted? The aim is to expand and improve this section, like the rest of the knowledge portal, in the coming years. Policy officers, entrepreneurs and residents can use this knowledge to make their island more resilient to climate change.

Island voices

A special item we have added to this section is ‘Island Voices’. This is a series of interviews in which residents from different islands and with different expertise talk about how they view climate change and climate adaptation. We find the views and experiences of islanders very important to share. Only together can we take good adaptation measures. In the first interview, you will meet Kimani Kitson-Walters and Anna Maitz of St Eustatius. Kimani is policy advisor for Agriculture, Nature and Environment on St Eustatius. Anna is programme manager of the NEPP (the Nature and Environment Policy Plan).

Why did you give a training in Tamale?

Sophie: ‘The aim of our training was to make farmers in the Tamale area more resilient to the effects of climate change, using various adaptation measures. Over the past few years, droughts, floods and crop pests have impacted smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. This has a lot to do with climate change, which has made the rainy season in the area more erratic.’

‘One major topic that kept coming up in our discussions was the changing rain seasons and how unpredictable they have become.’

To whom did you give the training?

Sophie: ‘The training about climate change and agriculture took place at the University for Development Studies. For this, we worked together with our colleague Spyros Paparrizos from Wageningen University & Research. We had a diverse group that included students from the University for Development Studies of Tamale, staff from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, some risk and insurance advisers and a PHD student from the University of Parakou in Benin. Also, a staff member participated from the Sungold Farm Estate, an organisation dedicated to sustainable agriculture in Africa. The training was supported by the Orange Knowledge Programme, managed by Nuffic and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.’

First training day: getting acquainted and gathering information

Sophie: ‘We kicked off the training on 16 January at the WACWISA Center for Excellence with a lot of excitement. In the introduction round, we found out that the participants really enjoy nature, the environment, farming, and animals. To start things off, we did a group exercise, focusing on climate change in Ghana. We used posters and impact chains to collect information about relevant hazards and their impacts. One major topic that kept coming up in our discussions was the changing rain seasons and how unpredictable they have become. Last year, some farmers faced difficulties because of the late start of the rain season, resulting in the loss of two rounds of seedlings. By the time the rain finally arrived, the farmers lacked the financial means to buy seeds for a third planting. I also discovered that farmers used to rely on signals from nature to predict the weather, like the flight patterns of flamingos or fruit bats. Unfortunately, these animals have disappeared.’

Second day of training: field trip and Drop App

Sophie: ‘On the second day, we first went on an excursion to the Golinga Irrigation Project dam. Issa, one of the participants, explained how the dam was built to provide water for the nearby communities where 4000 people live. We were amazed by the green surroundings of the dam since we had become accustomed to seeing dry fields during the dry season. We expected to see various irrigation methods like drip or sprinkle irrigation, but to our surprise, irrigation was done by women using buckets to collect water.’

‘We were amazed by the green surroundings. We expected to see various irrigation methods like drip or sprinkle irrigation, but to our surprise, irrigation was done by women using buckets to collect water.’

Sophie: ‘In the afternoon, we focused on different data types and portals. But students were clearly most interested in Spyros’ presentation about the Drop App, which is a weather prediction app for farmers using both scientific and indigenous forecasts. They could relate well to Spyros’ experiences with local communities in often remote areas. They asked many questions about costs, data usage, how engaged the members of local communities were and whether they had smartphones.’

‘I also discovered that farmers used to rely on signals from nature to predict the weather, like the flight patterns of flamingos or fruit bats.’

Third training day: adaptation measures and storytelling

Sophie: ‘After a morning session about adaption measures, we focused on storytelling. The aim of storytelling is to bridge the gap between knowledge providers, such as scientists, and end users, like smallholder farmers. We encouraged creativity and many storylines were created using drawings and AI generated images. One of the stories was about Adam, a maize farmer in the Northern region. In 2017 he experienced a lot of crop damage. He was desperate, feeling his livelihood threated. An extension officer from the ministry helped him to take adaptation measures. In 2020, he had a successful maize harvest.’

Final day: presentations, presentation of certificates and guided tour

Sophie: ‘Friday was the day of celebration! The students shared their case studies, bringing together various training topics from the training, like engaging with stakeholders and storytelling. After the presentations, we gave out certificates, accompanied by a big round of applause. The final activity was a guided tour around the campus by Didier, one of the participants. The tour highlighted various climate-smart agriculture measures, like greenhouses. The tomatoes growing in the greenhouses are protected from extreme heat and water demand is reduced by 75%, Unfortunately, most farmers cannot afford a greenhouse, even though the return on investment is only 3 years.’