Professor Arthur Petersen appointed as scientific adviser to Dutch Delta Commissioner

The Signal Group of the Dutch Delta Programme is a group of external experts that was set up in 2016 to periodically analyse which information is of relevance to the Delta Programme. Specifically, the group is charged with mapping out the external developments (physical and socio-economic conditions; knowledge development; and political developments and societal preferences) that could constitute reason for a reconsideration of the Delta Decisions, preferential strategies, and Delta Plans, or an adjustment of their implementation (as stated in its first advice in 2017).

Professor Petersen was involved in the design of ‘adaptive delta management’ in the Delta Programme. Last year, he led the external evaluation of the Signal Group.

Earlier this year, Professor Petersen has also been asked by policy-makers and scientists in the Dutch government to advise on the science–policy interface concerning environmental quality (in particular with respect to nitrogen), see here.

Professor Petersen joined UCL’s Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) full-time in September 2014 after more than 13 years’ working as a scientific adviser on environment and infrastructure policy within the Dutch Government. He has been a member of STEaPP's Leadership Team from 2014–2018 (in 2016-17 he was Acting Head of Department), and again from 2022 (as Director of Education). In the 2023/24 academic year he will co-lead modules on Climate, Innovation and Sustainability Policy and on Risk Assessment and Governance. He will also be contributing to other modules within STEaPP, including Science Diplomacy.

Professor Petersen is also Editor of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science.

Links

• Article on planned adaptation in risk regulation, published in 2010 (by Larry McCray, Ken Oye and Arthur Petersen)
• Conference paper on planned adaptation in the Dutch delta, published in 2015 (by Arthur Petersen and Pieter Bloemen)
• Conference report on planned adaptive regulation, published in 2016 (IRGC conference at UCL co-organised by Arthur Petersen, with Pieter Bloemen as keynote speaker)
• Engineering X (Royal Academy of Engineering) case study on planned adaptive regulation, published in 2022 (by Richard Judge and Arthur Petersen)
• The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) working paper on adaptive climate policy (in Dutch), published in 2023 (by Arthur Petersen; includes highlights from the external evaluation of the Signal Group)
• Announcement at Dutch Delta Programme website (in Dutch)