Tjeerd Bouma

I want to understand how nature allows ecosystems to function so that humans can make sustainable use of them, for example in coastal defense. By first investigating how a healthy ecosystem works, there is a greater chance of successfully restoring lost ecosystems. To protect the land from rising sea levels, for example, alternating polders along muddy coasts can be used in parts of the Netherlands. Seagrass beds can be restored in the Caribbean and mangroves in the densely populated delta around Hong Kong. In many cases, nature offers smarter and often cheaper alternatives than strictly technical solutions.