Sandy strategies in social context: Introduction

All over the world, climate change and sea-level rise are forcing societies to take action. They need to develop new and innovative approaches to adapt. But such technological innovations do not develop in a social vacuum; they are often closely linked to finding solutions to social challenges. The successful introduction of technological innovations, such as the Sand Motor, depends on whether a range of political and societal parties are willing and able to commit themselves to this solution. Considering the unprecedented scale, and thus potential social impact, of a project like the Sand Motor, it should come as no surprise that its introduction was not without challenges. In this chapter, we discuss why many political and societal parties came to support the Sand Motor pilot project.