On Wednesday, April 23, Albert Klein Tank will deliver his inaugural lecture at the Academy Building of Utrecht University, titled: "On a Journey, and Taking Along: Baggage for Regional Transitions in the Zeeland Delta." Klein Tank is the scientific director of the Delta Climate Center and a professor at Utrecht University. In Utrecht, he works in the field of "Sustainable Transitions for River Deltas in a Changing Climate."
Although Klein Tank was appointed professor on December 1, 2023, he officially assumes the position with his inaugural lecture. His speech centers on the unique character of the Delta Climate Center (DCC) in Vlissingen. “Major societal challenges in the fields of climate and sustainability are best solved regionally and in mutual coherence,” he says. “The DCC supports this with the necessary integrated knowledge for the Zeeland delta.”
Accelerating Transitions
According to Klein Tank, it is understandable that attention to climate and sustainability in society and politics has waned due to geopolitical tensions and short-term concerns about livelihoods. However, the major societal challenges and the urgency to address them have not diminished.
“On the contrary,” Klein Tank emphasizes. Accelerating transitions such as in energy (from fossil fuels to solar and wind), food (toward more plant-based and local sources), and raw materials (from linear to circular use) remains essential for a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations. “To effectively drive these transitions, the boundary must blur between research and education on one side, and implementation and practice on the other.”
In his lecture, which can be followed online via this link, Klein Tank explains how the DCC connects theory and practice on the path toward a climate-resilient and sustainable future for the Zeeland delta. The interaction between research, education, and practice, drawing from academic, professional and vocational perspectives, makes the working method of this new knowledge center extremely powerful.