Odette van de Riet

A Policy Analysis of Dutch River Dike Improvements: Trading Off Safety, Cost, and Environmental Impacts

This paper describes a four-month study performed for the Dutch Minister of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management that examined the consequences of alternative policies for providing flood protection to the nontidal branches of the Rijn and Maas Rivers in The Netherlands. The paper focuses on estimating the flood damage that would occur under alternative safety standards, estimating the financial costs of alternative dike improvement strategies, and estimating the damage that would be inflicted on the landscape, natural, and cultural values along the rivers under each of these strategies. The primary objective of the study was to identify policies that would provide a high level of safety, would not cost too much, and would preserve as much as possible of the existing landscape, natural, and cultural values along the rivers. Less than six months after the completion of the study, the Dutch Parliament approved a new river dike policy that was based on the studys results.

When does infrastructure function well? A multi-actor performance criteria typology

Infrastructures are of vital importance to society. Infrastructures boost economic growth and quality of life by increasing communication, and travel and transport possibilities, bringing comfort to our homes, etc. But infrastructures can also have negative effects. For example, they can harm the environment and exhaust scarce resources. We are only beginning to understand the effects of an infrastructure policy. Many infrastructure policies have yielded favourable results, but some have clearly worked better than others. As policymakers seek to improve the infrastructure system, it is important that they understand the trade-offs that different policies entail. Thus, they need to have a good understanding of the different functions infrastructure fulfils and the different values and interests at stake. This article provides a typology of all possible performance criteria from a multi-actor point of view including an overview of the different values and interests at stake and the possible conflicts of interest.

Drivers of Freight Transport Demand and their Policy Implications

This research provides an understanding of the key drivers of freight transport demand, how they affect demand, and how they can be influenced in order to achieve policy goals. The research consisted of a literature study and data analysis. Freight transport demand was studied at the decisionmaking level, since the amount and composition of freight transport demand is determined by a set of choices (e.g. shipment size and frequency, mode, time-ofday, route) made by a variety of decisionmakers. The key drivers of freight transport demand are Gross Domestic Product (GDP), consumer demand, economic structure, the logistics system, and the characteristics of the available modes of transport. Some of the drivers (e.g. GDP) are not reasonable targets for transport policies. However, many of the drivers can be influenced by policy in order to shape demand in more sustainable directions. These policies include changes in prices, regulations, infrastructure, traffic management, information provision, and subsidies, all of which affect one or more of the drivers or directly affect demand. The paper identifies the key drivers, and how each affects the various choices and the overall demand. It then discusses the possibilities and limitations of policy measures.