Coastal Zone Management in the Netherlands

Coastal Zone Management in the Netherlands
Erik de Ruyter van Steveninck
with contributions by Mick van der Wegen and Frank van der Meulen


The Netherlands:
a delta landscape,
penetrated by
rivers, subject to
sea and river
flooding
(Working together with
water-Findings of the
Deltacommissie, 2008)


The Netherlands:
• 26% below sea level
• 60% threatened by floods
• >1250 km coastline

HWRU: Coastal ecosystems

3


Challenges: Population density
(from Misdorp 2011)

HWRU: Coastal ecosystems

4


Challenges: economic activities

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/)

Bart van Eyck

Harry van Reeken
Jan vd Broeke
HWRU: Coastal ecosystems

5


Challenges: climate change

More /extreme
storms?

More/intenseMore summer
rainfall
drought

Spatial
developments
Sealevel rise
Increased Salt
60-85 cm/100y)

erosion intrusion Subsidence
HWRU: Coastal ecosystems

Increased
river
discharge
Decreased
river
discharge
6


First priority:
protection from floods
and erosion

From Misdorp 2011


Developing insight and available resources

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/Bart van Eyck)

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/Rens Jacobs)


Maeslantkering (beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/)


Disadvantages of hard structures

•
•
•
•

Impacts on hydromorphological processes
Irreversible
High construction, maintenance and operation costs
False sense of safety-increasing risks
Risk = Probability x Effect


Examples of CZM in the Netherlands
• Building with nature:
– Sand nourishment > sand
engine
– Compensation measures
– Resilient coastal defense

• Room for the river
• Water quality
• Delta planning

(from Misdorp 2011)


Sand nourishment:
work with nature
(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/

Traditional: groynes
work against nature

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/H v Reeken)

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/Harry van Reeken)
(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/J vd Broeke


Sand nourishment: the sand engine

(beeldbank.rws.nl, Rijkswaterstaat/Joop van Houdt)


Compensation
Spanjaards dune constructed
by beach nourishment to
compensate for loss of high
quality (Natura 2000) habitat
due to harbour extension (EU
regulation)

Spanjaards dune will
develop into a
characteristic dune nature
reserve area


Resilient coastal defense

Room for the river

• the goal of the Dutch Room for the River Programme
is to give the river more room to be able to manage
higher water levels.
• >30 locations, measures will be taken that give the
river space to flood safely.
• measures will be designed in such a way that they
improve the quality of the immediate surroundings


How to make room for the river:


Room for the river


Rhine Meuse
drainage area


Rhine and Meuse
as source of
coastal pollution
(from Misdorp 2011)


North Sea:

eutrophication
(Min. Transport & Public Works 1991)


Spatial and temporal distribution of cadmium
in sediments of the Rhine-Meuse delta (Misdorp 2011)


Rehabilitation of the River Rhine
1. Stepwise gentlemen agreements government and industry
2. Legislative enforcement
1950: International Commission for Protection of the Rhine
•
•
•

improve chemical => ecological state river and later also North Sea
ecological rehabilitation, including fish migration (salmon)
support European regulations

2000: EU Water Framework Directive
•

maintain and restoration of ecological status through Integrated River
Basin Management–including coastal waters


Climate change predictions (Working together with waterFindings of the Deltacommissie, 2008)

Delta programme (Working together with water-Findings of the
Deltacommissie, 2008)

How to make the
Netherlands climate proof
over the very long time:
• flood protection
• securing freshwater
supplies
• sustainability
Implementation:
• along with climate
change and ecological
processes
• flexible
• gradual