| * Background. Since the execution of the Ooyevaar Plan in 1987 the forelands of the rivers Waal and Rhine have been transformed from agricultural area into nature area. In itself this is a favourable development, but unlimited growth of trees and bushes may hamper the flow of the water. Therefore innovative methods are necesarry in order to remove the overgrowth and deposited sand on a regular basis. * Aim and bottlenecks. To create a symbiosis between safety and nature in the management of river and foreland through cyclic renewal of the foreland. Unlimited growth of vegetation in nature areas in the foreland hampers the discharge capacity of the large rivers and increases the hydraulic roughness. Moreover the developments violate the policy principles related to Room for the river. The resistance of the citizens against measures is a bottleneck. * Approach. Basis of the plan is to repair the natural cycle of erosion, sedimentation and vegetation in rivers through human intervention. This means that sand and vegetation in the foreland has to be removed according to a cyclic pattern. In line with this the following activities will be undertaken: - Research into morphological and ecological aspects of cyclic renewal processes. - The 'translation' into practical measures (like the development of innovative methods for digging up sandbanks and removal of vegetation). - Research and recommendations for communication and participation strategies. - Development of a decision support system for the management of rivers and foreland. The project is part of the interregional project 'Freude am Fluss', a co-operative framework with German and French partners. * Keywords: assessment, economy, water system, models, river functions and decision making practice. |
