1. Changes in the natural environment of a river
2. Loss of floodplain surface in upper Rhine
3. “Ecological obstacles”
4. River restoration ready for the future?
5. Restoring habitat connectivity
Fokkens B. ECRR, Flood prevention and river restoration, Room for the river
1. FLOOD PREVENTION
AND
RIVER RESTORATION
ROOM FOR THE RIVER
Bart Fokkens
Chairman European Centre for River Restoration
21-11-2011
2. CHANGES IN THE NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT OF A RIVER
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3. LOSS OF FLOODPLAIN SURFACE
IN UPPER RHINE
100%
80%
loss due to dike construction works
(Honsell/Tulla)
60%
loss due to erosion (Basel-Breisach)
loss due to construction works until
Iffezheim
40%
remained floodplain
20%
0%
1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
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5. RR READY FOR THE FUTURE ?
• Design rivers for the future with respect for the
past
• Multidisciplinary, adaptive approach, acceptance
of non-stationary
• Public involvement, social processes and
interactions important with increased scale
• Multi-criteria analysis, cost benefit analysis and
economic evaluation
• Adequate (long-term) multi-level monitoring
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6. EU AND “IWRB”
• Prevent deterioration and achieve a good ecological status
• Work with the river and not against it
• From sector & technical to integral & natural
• From river basin to local scale
• Participatory planning
• Socio-economic analyses 09/12/2009
Basin Branch Floodplain Ecotope
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8. RESTORATION MEASURES
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9. MITIGATION MEASURES
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10. LOST ROOM FOR RHINE AND MEUSE
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11. FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT RHINE RIVER
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12. NEAR FLOODINGS 2003 / 2005
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13. DIKE STRENGTHENING ?
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14. ROOM FOR THE RIVER PRGRAMME
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15. GOALS AND CONDITIONS
• Safety: stabilizing critical water levels despite
increase of design discharge of 1000 m3/s
• Increase of spatial quality:
– Socio-economic value
– Ecological value
– Aesthetic/ cultural value
– Sustainability
• Implementation in partnership between national
and regional authorities
• Completion deadline: 2015
• Put 2015 plan in perspective of long-term vision
(2050+)
• Strictly limited budget16-18 Novemberbillion Euros
21-11-2011
Ljubljana
of 2.2 2011
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16. TOOLBOX OF MEASURES
(green = best potential for ecological restoration)
• Inside existing floodplain • Outside existing floodplain
– Riverbed deepening – Detention areas
– Groin improvement – Bypasses/ ‘green rivers’
– Creating side-channels – Widening of floodplain by
– Removing obstacles replacement of dikes or
– Strengthening of dikes (final depoldering
option if no room available at
reasonable costs)
Selection of measures based on:
cost-effectiveness, contribution to spatial quality and
administrative/political feasability
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17. DECISION MAKING PROCESS RHINE RIVER
regional design workshops with measures from long-term
stakeholders survey
2003:600 individual measures
Discussion- Analysis,
and decision- discussion and
support 13 strategies
negotiation
5 alternatives + extra modules
Quantity Assessment of alternatives Quality
2005:preferred alternative
2007:Approval by parliament = PLAN
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18. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH
Alternative measures could be developed by
partners until summer 2008 within strict limits of:
• Political and Public support
• Effectiveness (safety + spatial quality)
• Within available budget or provide extra
• Completed in 2015
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19. RIVER RESTORATION: “ROOM FOR THE RIVERS”
• National
programme
with various
measures by
2015
• Flood
alleviation
and
ecological
restoration
• Costs: 2.2
Billion Euros
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20. BOTTLENECK NIJMEGEN
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