1. 11th November 2015
Avoiding conflicts through multi-party
coordination
Lessons from Project Mainport Rotterdam port extension
Sharon Tatman, Deltares
Sustainable Ocean Summit 2015, Singapore

2. June 29, 2016
Aim and content
With increased human use and intensifying need for space in
the coastal zone, how do you avoid conflicts caused by
economic activities putting pressure on coastal ecosystems?
• Spatial planning in the Dutch coastal zone
• Lessons learnt from the case study:
• Project Mainport development Rotterdam (PMR) - How
to develop a mainport in a nature reserve?

3. Social themes → research programming

4. North Sea 2050 Spatial Agenda
The Netherlands is a busy country with limited surface area
Cooperating on spatial challenges is one of the strengths of
the Netherlands.
Multi-functional use of the North Sea in 2050 is based on
integrated planning in space and time through combining
functions.

5. North Sea Policy Document 2016-2021
North Sea 2050 Spatial Agenda not yet policy status or
represent structural vision in the sense of the Spatial
Planning Act
Exploration of ambition, potential, challenges and possible
measures to influence policy, regulations and financing
Spatial agenda transposed at policy level in the coming
realisation of the National Water Plan 2 (NWP2) and
accompanying North Sea Policy Document for 2016-
2021
June 29, 2016

6. Approach
Ecosystem-based management is at core of
policies and legal framework w.r.t. Dutch
coastal zone spatial & environmental
agendas
EBM aims to strike a balance between
managing complex relationship between
human and natural systems in the face of
adapting to change
Economic
vitality
Social
wellbeing
Environ-
mental
Quality

7. Elements of EBM Process
Characterize
context for
EBM
Set
objectives,
analyze
scenarios &
select
actions
Implement
actions,
monitor &
manage
adaptively
Engage
stakeholders
• Accounts for ecological, social, and economic goals
• Incorporates understanding of ecosystem processes
• Uses adaptive management
• Engages multiple stakeholders in collaborative
process from the start

8. Project Mainport development Rotterdam (PMR)
“Maasvlakte 2” land reclamation for
the expansion of the Port of
Rotterdam
• 365 million m³ sand
• 1000 ha new port facilities
• Construction 2008-2013
• Costs: 3 billion €
16 March 2015 9

9. Project Mainport development Rotterdam (PMR)
16 March 2015
January 2009
July 2009
January 2011
January 2013
10

10. After 4 years of “rainbowing
16 March 2015 11

11. Ready for giant container vessels
16 March 2015 12

12. Multi-sector
Economic
vitality
Social
wellbeing
Environmen-
tal Quality
NGOs Recreation
Shipping
Fishing
Port authority

13. 16 March 2015 14
Maasvlakte 2
Marine protected area
“Voordelta”
Project Mainport development Rotterdam (PMR)
• Voordelta is Marine protected area
since 2008 (Natura2000)
• 900 km2
• Natura2000 - network designated under
the Birds and Habitat Directive
• Legal recognition & protection of
vulnerable marine species and habitats
European & national
legislation require
compensation of the
significant effects on
nature

14. Multi-party project governance
16 March 2015 15
Responsible for execution of compensation
measures and monitoring programme
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Joint-competent authority
Ministries of Infrastructure and Environment
Joint-competent authority
Report to Dutch Parliament & European Commission
Port of Rotterdam
Permit holder (nature conservation law)
Responsible for reporting effects of the compensation
measures to the competent authority (Ministry of Economic
Affairs)

15. Ecological effects in the Voordelta
16 March 2015
Maasvlakte 2
Marine protected area
“Voordelta”
European & national legislation require compensation of the expected significant effects on nature
• Loss of 2455 ha marine habitat
• (“Habitat type 1110” Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time)
• Loss of foraging area for protected bird species
• Common scoter, Common tern, Sandwich tern)
Habitat 1110
Sandwich tern
Common scoter
Common tern
16

16. Compensation measures
16 March 2015
Compensation for loss of Habitat 1110
• Improvement of benthic habitat
quality by limitations on fisheries
> exclusion of beam trawl >260 hp
in a protected area of 24550 ha
> Expected result:
– 10% increase in benthic
biomass in protected area
Compensation for loss of foraging area for
scoter and terns
• Improvement of foraging conditions:
ban on human activities in some
areas
> Expected result:
– less disturbance
– no decrease of foraging
function of Voordelta
Maasvlakte 2
Natura 2000 site
“Voordelta”
Protected area:
No beam trawl
Protected area
for scoter
Tidal flats
for foraging Terns
17

17. Monitoring programme
Ecosystem-based approach
• Understanding interactions (biotic,
abiotic, human pressures e.g.
recreation and fishing)
• Understanding ecosystem
• Establishing cause effect relations
Objective:
• Provide an answer to the question
whether compensation measures
were sufficient
16 March 2015 18

18. Results & mid-term evaluation 2014
Habitat 1110
No significant change in benthic biomass or biodiversity after exclusion zone
set up
Complicating issues
• Fisheries declining in both the exclusion zone and the rest of the
Voordelta since 2004
• Shrimp fisheries seems to increase
Birds
No significant changes observed over years
Complicating issues
• Limited use of protected areas by breeding birds due to
disturbance by kitesurfers
• Low numbers, but decline in numbers in whole NL
coast since 2000
16 March 2015 19

19. Preliminary conclusions of monitoring
• It is not yet possible to draw firm conclusions on the
effects of the compensation measures
• Monitoring programme is adapted for phase 2 2016-
2019
• Monitoring programme increases knowledge on
• Ecological functioning of Voordelta
• Effects of human activities
• Importance of external factors vs. compensation
measures
16 March 2015 20

20. From a scientific perspective
• Apply proper understanding of ecosystem functioning to
enable the combination of nature conservation and
intensive human use
• Science must be central in discussions on future of
coastal zones
• Even though results are not as expected, monitoring &
science not to blame
• Required a lot of communication, but ultimately
accepted
• Adaptive monitoring and project management
• Independent, scientific audit committee
16 March 2015 21
Lessons from PMR

21. Lessons from PMR
From a governance perspective
• Partnership and trust – involve all stakeholders from the
start
• Clear messages at the start to all parties about what
results can be expected
• Communicate results in a understandable way
• Independent facilitator or process manager
Jury is still out if in busy area like the Dutch coastal zone,
mainport development together with nature can be
done…………….
16 March 2015 22

22. Case study “Project Mainport Rotterdam (PMR)
Nature Compensation Voordelta”
Thank you!
Sharon.Tatman@deltares.nl