For several years in a row, heat and drought records have followed one another. Our summers are getting hotter and drier, and we are increasingly affected by these extreme weather events. But how can we make our private gardens, public green spaces and agriculture more resistant against these high temperatures or long periods of drought, and what ensures that your garden stays cool during a heat wave?

This is exactly what ‘CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin’ wants to find out. With the use of innovative technology, we will monitor and map heat and drought in great detail all over Flanders over a period of 6 months. 'CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin' explores how we can better deal with the effects of increasingly hot and dry summers. How do we ensure that our garden remains cool during a heat wave? And how do we better arm our gardens, as well as our parks, fields and natural areas, against drought?

Become 1 of 5,000 citizen scientists and install one of the smart sensors in your garden. You can follow your measurements live via your personal dashboard.

Small, large, in the countryside or in the city: every garden can contribute to this internationally unique research.

Discover more in the official press release and subscribe via the App DS Nieuws or at standaard.be/curieuzeneuzen

As a dedicated partner of ‘CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin’ , VITO Remote Sensing will coordinate the side experiment set up to investigate the impact of extreme weather on the cultivation of potatoes. Next to our private and public gardens, agricultural fields are also very susceptible to extreme weather conditions. We will therefore also install 500 smart sensors in various potato fields spread over Flanders. These sensors will be installed with support of the WatchITgrow network and connected to the online platform for crop monitoring. Click here for more information about the agricultural side experiment.

About CurieuzeNeuzen

CurieuzeNeuzen in de Tuin is:

  • The largest ever study of heat and drought in Flemish gardens.
  • A unique international research with innovative technology using the Internet of Things.
  • An initiative of the University of Antwerp and De Standaard.
  • In collaboration with Rabobank.be, Orange, VITO, VMM, EWI, Department of Environment, Bio-Planet, DPD and Aquafin.
Contact:
+32 14 33 68 21