Galen Last, Jort van (2020) Exploring positions of key stakeholders towards the application of measures to counter peat oxidation in the province of Groningen. Bachelor thesis.
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Abstract
The Netherlands contains many peat areas, in which peat is oxidizing as a result of low water levels, which are needed to make these areas suitable for agriculture. Peat oxidation is responsible for 4% of the total CO2 emissions in the Netherlands, and it causes land subsidence, which is especially a problem in a low-lying country like the Netherlands. Therefore, measures to counter peat oxidation should be taken, and the Dutch government set money aside to do so. In the existing academic literature, some measures that could theoretically prevent peat oxidation are found. However, research into the feasibility of these measures is lacking. This paper explores the positions of the most relevant stakeholders towards peat oxidation, to identify how the issue can feasibly be tackled in the province of Groningen. This is investigated in the form of interviews with the most important stakeholders. The results show that awareness about the issue is increasing, and that cooperation between different stakeholders is key in developing a strategy to tackle the issue. Moreover, it was found that farmers are currently hesitant to switch to modes of production with higher water levels, because of a lack of knowledge regarding the profitability of these business models. Further findings include ways to stimulate the application of measures to counter peat oxidation, such as by providing subsidies and improving awareness among farmers that raising water levels may also be beneficial for them.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Degree programme: | Spatial Planning and Design |
| Supervisor: | Kuper, B.J. and Dijk, T. van |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jul 2020 10:29 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jul 2020 10:29 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3265 |
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