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Building with Nature Adapt, stay safe and prosper in the Delta

November 2012

Mindert de Vries

Specialist eco-engineering at Deltares

Professor Building with Living Nature U. Applied Sciences Hogeschool Zeeland

Delta Squeeze, need solutions

•Almost all land and water is in use or is exploited

•Population is growing

•Climate change and sea level rise are causing

impacts

•Resources are increasingly scarce

Need for multifunctional solutions that

combine safety, economy and ecology

Building with Nature

concept:

use the

forces and services of the ecosystem

to

realize safety in combination

with economy and ecology

Principles of Building with Nature (R. Waterman)

Emphasis on flexible soft

structures in harmony

with the sea,

like dunes and beaches.

BWN is linked to Green Adaptation and Climate Change

Green Adaptation (EU, UNEP, FAO, WWF,

Conservation International) concepts:

• make use of ecosystem functioning to enhance safety,

food and freshwater security, and protect

livelihoods

• include and enhance ecosystem functions in a cost-

effective integrated approach to adapt to climate

threats

Marshland kwelders

Foto paesens-moddergat

Effective low cost

low tech method

produces safety

& productive habitats

& more space

Dutch historical 1000yr large scale land reclamation =

stabilize mud coast by growing saltmarshes

Frisian Wadden Sea coast

BWN stands on long term

practical understanding

of natural processes

Effective low cost

low tech method

produces safety

& valuable habitats

& more space

& drinking water

100’s km Dutch sandy coast protected long term with dunes

stabilized by vegetation

Example:

Isle of Texel

Traditional knowledge and BWN integrated to build safe

soft eco levees by reef, marsh, dune, dike combinations

Long term safety:

Marshes grow

with SLR

reefs

Marshes, mangroves

Foreshore & beach sand nourishments

Use & produce

ecosystem services

Limited wave reduction

Enhanced wave reduction

Maximized wave reduction

Vegetatie als golfremmer

Scale 500m wide

30km long

Saltmarsh grows with sea level and maintains stability and safety

Flexible, low tech, low maintenance cost, longshore connectivity Lake

IJsselmeer

Afsluitdijk

Wadden

Sea

Wave reducing

saltmarsh

Super storm

stable vegetated

dune

Example: Wadden Sea Soft Dike: saltmarsh/dune/dike combi

Existing dike

Lake IJsselmeer

Wadden Sea

Example: 2010, Ecoshape consortium: foreshore

protection with oyster reef experiment

3x 200m x 20m

Reduce erosion of intertidal flats

in Eastern Scheldt, maintain

habitats and protect the dike Eastern Scheldt

Zierikzee

Eastern Scheldt

Example: 2010, Waterboard, RWS, Deltares:

completely soft green solution replaces existing dike

Nature development with longshore connectivity and regional relevance

for recreation and as fish and bird habitat

depth and material variations

create diversity, enhanced

by natural settling and

compaction.

Amsterdam

Hoorn

80m wide, 30 km, along lake shore

Final technical design phase

Example: 2009 RfR programme Noordwaard

Wavereducing forest- soft dike combi ‘fort Steurgat’

•>70% reduction of wave height in

healthy willow forest

•Deltares/RWS design achieves

required 1/2000 safety standards and

is now under construction.

Wave reducing

willow-tree plantations

Low cost low tech

Clay dike

will be lower than

traditional design

100m wide

Example: Rich Levee Maasvlakte 2, hard structure is

optimized for habitat diversity and productivity

BWN delivers continuum of concepts and applications

Mekong Delta near Bac Lieu Vietnam

SPACE RESILIENT & SAFE

COMMUNITY

Sustained

productivity Monofunctional

safety is suboptimal

Nature

We understand muddy delta’s!

BWN

Practical solutions for Mekong?

• Principle: from unsafe levee/line to safe eco-

levee/landscape

• Merge space, nature and productivity to create

safe win-win-win solutions

• Aim for low tech, low cost, adaptable methods

• Utilize resilience, creativity and local knowledge

of communities

• Go for green adaptation by BWN!

Cooperation is the key to progress and success

www.ecoshape.nl

Many international examples in CCC book!

http://www.coastalcooperation.net/

New thinkers and do-ers: The next generation being

educated at Delta Academy in Zeeland and U. Can Tho

Integrate applied research,

training and education!

We would like to

extend this activity

in Centre of

Expertise for Mekong

BWN solutions wrap-up

• Generic and practical,

• Specific to each ecosystem and need local knowledge

• Fit within legal constraints such as EU Bird and Habitat Directive,

• Co-creation with government, ngo’s, commercial and research organizations is essential,

• Training, guidelines, online info is available

• Cost-effective in NL, and: • Mangrove planting project protects coastal populations from

storm surges in Vietnam. Project generates economic benefits that were 52 times higher than costs. (C4C)

• Financing adaptation and resilience is a cost-effective investment that can pay for itself many times over. (C4C)

C4C: Adapting for a Green Economy: Companies, Communities and Climate Change. A Caring for Climate Report. A Caring for Climate report by the United Nations Global Compact, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Oxfam, and World Resources Institute (WRI), 2011

Building with Nature projects overview

2009

2008

2007

USA

Singapore

The Netherlands are leading

in BWN applied for

safety against flooding

2010

2011-12

Vietnam

Oysterreefs

Forest-dike

combi

Soft green dike

Wadden Sea marsh dune dike

Frisian salt marshes

Sand Engine

You can contact me at

mindert.devries@deltares.nl

Thank you!