Vera Dubbink
Researching a robust tree nursery
For my graduation project, I travelled to Ghana to develop my design not only theoretically, but also in practice. My research focuses on setting up a robust tree nursery in northern Ghana, run by women farmers.
Curbing tree nurseries and deforestation
These nurseries grow young shea, mango and cashew trees, among others: the basis for combating deforestation. The growing demand for the international market and for forest conservation offers opportunities, but requires well-functioning and sustainable nurseries.
The role of climate and water management
Climate makes this challenging. In the north, there is one rainy season, followed by a long dry season when water is scarce and the Harmattan, a dry, dusty wind, affects infrastructure. It is precisely during this period that young trees need care and irrigation. This makes water management the core of my design question.
Field research in Ghana
My journey began in Accra, Ghana's vibrant capital. After a short start, I travelled on to Tamale and then to Wa, in the north of the country. There I visited several nurseries, dams and local organisations to gain insight into how irrigation and cultivation work in practice. This often involved riding on the back of a motorbike, over dirt roads, from site to site.
From theory to practice in Wa
What seemed logical in the Netherlands turns out to depend on local conditions here. In Wa, I divide my days between analysis and fieldwork. Half the day I work on calculations, scenario comparisons and design concepts; the other half I spend on site visits and conversations with local partners. Seeing directly how water is extracted, how shade nets are attached and how teams work together makes my design choices more concrete.
A wider system question than just irrigation
Thanks to the KIVI Fund, I am given the opportunity to carry out my graduation research in this context. What started as a technical question about irrigation turns out to be a broader systemic question in practice. It involves climate, maintenance, labour, scalability and long-term sustainability.
The value of designing in context
And that is precisely what makes this experience so valuable! Design takes on a different meaning here: it is not just about efficiency, but about impact. About systems that continue to function when conditions are tough. About solutions that can be understood, integrated and maintained locally. This journey shows me how essential it is, as an engineer, to step outside your own frame of reference, and how much stronger a design becomes when it emerges in the context it is intended for, together with the people it is for.
