TIDE EMECS 9 Baltimore USA August 2011 Management plans for European estuaries for restoring and protecting their ecological functions
INTRODUCTION The TIDE Project
The Channel and the North Sea Humber GB North Sea Elbe DE EUROPE Channel Weser DE Scheldt NL,BE
TIDE Partners Scheldt NL,BE Rijkswaterstaat Flemish Authorities, Department of Mobility and Public Works Antwerp Port Authority University of Antwerp Elbe DE Weser DE Hamburg Port Authority (Lead Partner) Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency Free Hanseatic City of Bremen University of Bremen Humber GB Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, Hull Environment Agency
TIDE Objective To turn integrated management and planning into a reality in these four estuaries = working with nature
TIDE Financing 3.7 m EUR, supported by 50% by ERDF financed INTERREG IV B North Sea Programme Implemented between January 2010 and December 2012
Transnational Cooperation TIDE brings together partners from ports, environmental organizations, local government and researchers Estuaries work with input from Regional Working Groups (experts representing various stakeholders) Transnational working groups are set up for each study topic within TIDE Advice is sought from the transnational Project Advisory Board
PRESENTATION OF THE FOUR EUROPEAN ESTUARIES Elbe Weser Scheldt Humber
he Elbe Concept for a sustainable development of the Tidal Elbe River as an artery of the metropolitan region Hamburg and beyond Hamburg Dr.-Ing. Hans Peter Dücker Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Witte Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Glindemann
From a «natural» to a shipping estuary
Development of the mean high water and mean low water as annual values and 19-yearaverage values at the tide gauge St. Pauli in comparison to the anthropogenic measures and the development of the water surface areas in the port of Hamburg
Development of the dredging amounts in the Tidal Elbe River area of Hamburg
Sediment management concept River engineering measures as milestones for a future action plan for the Tidal Elbe River The sediment management concept therefore intends to relocate fresh, noncontaminated sediments in areas where there is less possibility for them to return to the place where they were dredged.
The Weser
Pilot Projects in the Weser Restoration of riverbanks 13 hectare area in lower Weser presently protected from flooding by summer dike Partial opening of dam, stopping agricultural use and reshaping the terrain to allow development of natural tidal floodplain habitats Measures to revitalise aquatic and semi-aquatic ecotops around former branches of Weser Assessment of different options Selection of best possible approach (hydrological and ecological) Southern part of the anabranch Rechter Nebenarm during flood and ebb tide (Credit: KÜFOG 2010)
Restoration in the Weser Recreating hard substrate underwater habitats in the Outer Weser Identification of areas suitable for the reestablishment of hard substrate habitats based on: - Historical location of habitats - Current regime - Stability of area - Sediment properties - Potential for colonization - Fishery practices
The Scheldt
THE SCHELDT 21.863 km² 10.431.016 inhabitants (477 inh/km²)
Increasing risks of inundation Profile through the valley
Scheldt (Belgium) Area and % intertidal area After P. Meire, 2008
After P. Meire, 2008
Tide level regulation Depolderisation
The Humber
Humber Estuary, UK flood risk relative SLR = SLR + isostatic rebound Source: Environment Agency
Habitat Creation Restoration / set-back / managed realignment / depolderisation 75ha of wetland @ 10.6M Public Safety - Economy - Environment Photos: Environment Agency Win-win-win situation
Habitat Restoration - Managed Realignment Humber Estuary - Chowder Ness, June 2006
THE «TIDE APPROACH» Challenges and perspectives
Account for ecological, economic and societal needs Interlink multiple processes, efforts and investments already taking place Use knowledge and solutions generated in previous projects (HARBASINS, SedNet, New!Delta) Link to existing management plans and EU Directives TIDE Approach
Increasing sediment transport, requiring more maintenance dredging and improved sediment management Similar Challenges: Sediments
Comparison of Sediment Dredging and Relocation Strategies Bringing a central challenge of all four estuaries the sediment dredging and relocation strategies into joint focus: Collection of data regarding traffic areas, maintenance, type of dredging, disposal sites, alternative utilization, etc. Estuary internal evaluations and recommendations
Similar Challenges: Ecosystem Functions Endangered estuarine ecosystem functions: flood regulation, coastal protection, water purification, plant and animal habitats
Similar Challenges: Frame Conditions Increasingly challenging legal and global economic framework EU Directives (Birds and Habitat, Water Framework) Economic prosperity and big port development Climate change
TIDE Focus Areas ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION Zonation schemes Ecosystem Services in the context of TIDE estuaries Historical development of estuaries Interestuarine comparison: hydrogeomorphological functions, oxygen and water quality Carrying capacity and management for habitats and birds ESTUARY GOVERNANCE Inventory of governance Inventory of uses / conflict matrix Communication schemes PRACTICAL MEASURES Analysis of human interventions Comparison of sediment dredging and relocation strategies Dealing with uncertainties in environmental assessments studies (EAS) Estuary specific pilot initiatives
Analysis of Human Interventions Learning from the others experiences and drawing useful knowledge for future planning and implementation processes Identification and selection of examples from each estuary Collection of detailed information on basis of jointly agreed criteria (measure targets, monitoring, effectiveness, maintenance efforts, zonation, costs, legislative assignment, public acceptance, conflicts and synergies, etc) Comparative analysis and recommendations Development of an online database for public search, making available extracts of the information collected