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200802-04-2008FINAL CONFERENCE SAFECOAST & CHAIN OF SAFETY The final conference of Safecoast will be on May 20 & 21, in Scheveningen (NL). This event will be thé opportunity to listen and interact with the Safecoast results. This will also be the first time two Interreg projects, Safecoast and Chain of Safety, work together to find their common grounds. You can find the invitation here and you can register via this link. 13-02-2008 EU Project EroGrass launched  A large part of the dikes in the North Sea and Baltic Sea Region are covered with grass that is exposed to hydraulic loading from waves and currents during storm surges. During many former storm surges, these grass cover layers were not damaged and showed large strength. Due to this, grass cover layers have attracted more interest since the mid-eighties as one type of revetment for flood defence structures. In recent years, this grass cover revetment is being considered as a constructional component that has to be designed and managed. In 2008 the EU (FP6, Hydralab III) EroGrass project will deeply study these processes a newly built test dike in the large wave channel in Hannover. The extraction of clay and grass sods of this test dike takes place in the area around the Danish town of Ribe in the south-western part of Jutland and are currently transported in trucks to Germany.  Main project partners are the Danish Coastal Authority (DK), UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (NL), University of Strathclyde (UK), TU Delft (NL), Deltares (NL), Talinn University (EST), hosted by the coastal research centre (FZK) in Hannover (DE).The primary objective of the EroGRASS project is to perform large scale model tests to investigate in detail the erosion of a grassed clay dike cover due to (i) wave impact, (ii) wave run-up and run-down flow and (iii) wave overtopping. The effects of wave impact as well as wave run-up and run-down flow on the grass cover are investigated on the seaward slope of the dike model. The large wave channel at FZK, Hannover
On the landward slope, grass cover erosion due to wave overtopping is investigated. The dike model that is built in the Large Wave Channel of the Coastal Research Centre in Hannover, Germany, represents a typical sea dike. With the exception of the seaward slope, it is comparable to typical cross sections of sea dikes which have been built in The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is envisaged that the test results will improve the understanding of the erosion of grass cover layers due to wave forces. The clear physical understanding of the resistance of grass cover layers is regarded as indispensable, especially against the background of the enhanced focus on flood protection today and in future, also taking potential consequences of climate change into account. Moreover, the EroGRASS project intends to give good insight into the relation between the grass erosion resistance, the quality of the vegetation and the management of the grass cover. Former investigations and experience have shown that the resistance of grass cover to erosion can be controlled by the grassland management. The grass cover is more resistance to erosion as rooting becomes denser. A good form of management leads to a well-rooted grass cover revetment.  The primary function of the grass cover is to protect the dike body against erosion caused by loading from waves and currents during storm surges. Normally, erosion processes are divided in two parts: (a) the detachment process in which soil particles are detached from the compact soil surface by water forces and (b) the transport process in which the detached soil particles are washed away. The main function of the dike grass cover is to avoid detachment For more information click here 11-02-2008 UK/NL: Government visions on water policy Recently, in England and the Netherlands the respective governments have presented their new strategies for water policy. Both have attention to flood risk and climate change, but there are some differences and shifts in attention. For instance, there is a clear focus in England on increasing the efficiency of the use of water: Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (HM Government / Defra 2008): Because of our need to adapt to climate change and other pressures such as changing land use, we need to find ways of using water much more efficiently and sustainably. Future Water sets out some of the practical steps we will need to take to ensure that good clean water is available for people, businesses and nature. It looks ahead to 2030 and describes the water management we want by then. Because almost everything we do affects water in some way – from what we put down the drain and treat in our sewage works, to how we design our houses or farm the land – it looks at every aspect of water use. On the proposal of Tineke Huizinga, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management, the Cabinet has adopted the Water Programme entitled Nederland veroveren op de toekomst (‘Reclaiming the Netherlands from the future’). The Water Programme describes the direction which policy developments should take in the coming years in order to climate-proof the Netherlands in the long term. In the water programme of the Netherlands, new elements concern the economical perspective of water, international co-operation, education and awareness From the website of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management: In the Water Programme, the focal points of the water policy is explained within the context of five themes. These are: We will climate-proof the Netherlands together. Collaboration with other government bodies, citizens, companies and social organisations means that greater consideration can be given to water in planning the spatial layout. The Dutch use water to reinforce their economy. The Government wants to utilise economic opportunities by combining different functions in water management. In dealing with the IJsselmeer Dam, for example, investments can also be made in energy generation, transport or housing. The Dutch live sustainably with water. Measures to prevent floods, waterlogging and loss of water quality should be combined with the improvement of the natural environment. In addition, the Government wants to invest further in relationships with other countries with whom the Netherlands shares the management of rivers and seas. The Netherlands uses its knowledge of water to help other countries throughout the world. The Government wants to make a greater contribution to solving problems with regard to water in developing countries. In doing so, the Netherlands may also gain knowledge in other countries that may be useful at home. The Dutch rediscover living with water. The Government wants to involve people more closely in the opportunities presented by climate change and the expected volume of excess water a particular area will have to accommodate. This can be achieved by paying greater attention to water in education. Download the respective documents:  Sources: Defra, VenW 21-01-2008 DK/DE/NL: pulling ropes over the Wadden Sea Since 1978, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands co-ordinate their activities and measures for a comprehensive protection of the Wadden Sea. During the 10th (2005) trilateral conference for the protection of the Wadden Sea with Danish, German and Dutch government officials , Germany and the Netherlands decided to launch the procedure for nominating the existing protected Wadden areas for the status of UNESCO world heritage site. The ambition for this was already known since the Wadden Sea conference in 1991 (Esbjerg) and later underpinned in 1997 (Stade).  The Wadden Sea is one of the world's largest wetland ecosystems and forms the largest unbroken row of mudflats in the world. The sea stretches for nearly 500 km, from the Skallingen peninsula in the north to Den Helder in the south. This is a very dynamic environment where the sea and the wind are continuously building up and breaking down landscape elements: barrier islands (see table below), marshes, tidal flats, sand dunes, sandy beaches and cliffs. Despite having the authority of less than 1% of the Wadden Sea, the federal state of Hamburg has last week opposed the UNESCO world heritage nomination. Hamburg fears negative consequences of the nomination with respect to the planned deepening of the Elbe river, the portal to Hamburg's harbour. The planned deepening of the river is expected to alter current flows in the Wadden sea, which then has to be reported to UNESCO. Despite the opposition from Hamburg, Germany's federal government and neighbouring federal states remain positive that the UNESCO nomination (with a deadline of February 1) will pull though. The Danish position for the nomination may become a hurdle in the process as well, despite the governments decision on January 17 to declare the Danish part of the Wadden Sea a national park. Sources: NRC, Financial Times Germany, Wikipedia, CWSS Zooming in: The Wadden Islands  14-01-2008 UK: Strengthened coastal flood and erosion role for Environment Agency The UK Climate Change and Environment Minister Ian Pearson said that the new role would increase accountability and clarity for the public and help ensure that work is properly prioritised and managed so that record levels of investment are used to best effect. With its new strategic overview role, the Environment Agency will:
The role and membership of Regional Flood Defence Committees will be widened to include coastal erosion, bringing the Environment Agency’s decisions and activity on coastal erosion within the same governance framework that currently applies to flooding. Local authorities’ coastal groups will continue, but become more streamlined and strategic. One of the key aims of the Coastal Strategic Overview is to ensure more robust identification, implementation and long-term management of flood and coastal erosion risk management works. Works should clearly be undertaken only against Government priorities and the new outcome measures. The Environment Agency will take responsibility for much of what is currently Defra’s Coast Protection functions with effect from 1 April 2008 under Ministerial delegation. The Coastal Strategic Overview builds on this and, therefore, the project board aims to have a great deal of this implementation plan in place by 1 April 2008. Clearly there are parts, for example that can be implemented by administrative action or by delegating Defra Ministerial functions to the Agency. However, the necessary legislative changes, which will take longer to progress and will be delivered in due course. Source: DEFRA. Read more here  03-01-2008 NL: Implementing 'Making Space for the River' programme until 2015 The aim of the programme Making Space for the River is therefore twofold: improving flood safety ánd spatial quality. Flood safety Currently, the river Rhine can cope with a maximum discharge of 15,000 kubic meters per second entering the Netherlands near the town of Lobith. For the Meuse river this is 3,650 kubic meters per second. The programme Space for the River aims to increase these normative amounts to 16,000 and 3,800 kubic meters per second, respectively. To realise these aims, the Dutch government targets to give more space to the rivers where possible (new approach) and strengthen the flood defences where needed (traditional approach). Spatial quality Improvements of amenity and spatial quality in the river area consists of: Measures
Lowering of river winter bed
Source: www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl
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