Nature Based Solutions in River Management

Ellis Penning (Deltares, PhD)

With contributions from: Adrian Stanica (GeoEcoMar), Laurence Carvalho (CEH), Antonio Lo Porto (IRSA-CNR) Leon Kapetas (Draxis) and Bregje van Wesenbeeck (Deltares)

11-06-2020

Nature Based Solutions in River Management

Why talk about NBS in River Management?

The European Green Deal provides a roadmap with actions to

• boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy

• restore biodiversity and cut pollution.

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EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 & Farm to Fork

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The coronavirus crisis has shown how vulnerable we all are, and how important it

is to restore the balance between human activity and nature. At the heart of the

Green Deal the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies point to a new and better

balance of nature, food systems and biodiversity; to protect our people’s health

and well-being, and at the same time to increase the EU’s competitiveness and

resilience. These strategies are a crucial part of the great transition we are

embarking upon.”

Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

Global challenges

• Climate change and biodiversity loss

• Governments and donors are increasingly applying NBS to reduce hazards, mitigate and adapt to effects of climate change and to improve water management and limit heat stress;

• Demand for sustainable, resilient and multi-benift solutions;

• Trend toward integrated, multi-benefit (and multi-party) solutions;

• Clear trend toward with nature

• Many pilots, and trial projects.

→ Yet, uptake at larger scale is still challenging

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http://nwrm.eu/

What are NBS• Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) make proactive use of natural processes

• ‘Building with Nature’, ‘Eco-engineering’, ‘Blue-green infrastructures’….

Tackle problems of:

• Flood defence

• Flood/drought mitigation and adaptation

• Environmental pollution

• Urban heat stress and climate adaptation

• Sediment management and beneficial use sediments

•To reduce risks,

•To provide cheaper, better and/or quicker alternatives,

•To serve multiple goals

Platforms, projects and communities to share knowledge

Building with

Nature guidelines

Design guideline

development

http://pedrr.org/

https://www.ecoshape.org/en/

https://publicwiki.deltares.nl/display/BWN1/Guideline

www.think-nature.eu

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www.operandum-project.eu

http://www.reconect.eu/

5 key-principles of implementing NBS

1. System scale perspective: time and spatial scales, local setting:

incl. physical processes, socio-economics, institutional aspects

2. Risk and benefit assessment of full range of solutions:

incl. co-benefits

3. Standardized performance evaluation:

use criteria also used for traditional solutions

4. Integration with ecosystem conservation and restoration:

system functioning at the basis

5. Adaptive management:

asses daily maintenance, monitor and evaluate during life cycle

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Van Wesenbeeck, et al (2017). Implementing nature based flood protection : principles and

implementation guidance (English). Washington, DC. World Bank Group.

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/739421509427698706/Implementing-nature-based-

flood-protection-principles-and-implementation-guidance

NBS in catchments for soil management

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Keesstra et al, 2018

Panagos et al, 2020

Current catchment challenges

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https://www.stowa.nl/nieuws/hoe-ziet-een-klimaatrobuust-beekdallandschap-eruit-bekijk-het

Need voor integrated catchment management

Solutions from upstream to downstream

Community of Practice on Stream- and River Restoration,

Ronald van der Heijden

Heat stress

Flash floods

Chemical pressures

Hydomorphological

pressures

Soil erosion

Rapid drainage

Groundwater

depletion

Towards climate robuste catchments

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https://www.stowa.nl/nieuws/

Sustainable

agriculture

Natural functioning

Urban resilience

Improved

water quality

and quantity

Climate robust agriculture

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• Reduce drainage capacity of land

• Create natural water retention areas

• Increase groundwater levels

• Increase organic content of soils

• Select climate robust crops

Reduce floods Increase low flow

Increase groundwater

recharge

Climate Adaptive Cities

• Re-green paved areas where possible

• Decouple rainwater systems from sewer system

• Implement wadi’s and bioswales

• Create water storage in/below streets and public parks

• Stimulate green roofs

• Create green buffer strips close to urban streams (longitudinal parks)

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https://clevercities.eu/milan/

Restoration of water quality and quantity

• Restore groundwater fluxes

• Use natural crop protection

• Stimulate wise soil management

• Restore stream profile

• Create vegetated buffer strips

14https://tweedforum.org/our-work/projects/the-eddleston-water-project/eddleston-water-project-videos/

Spray (2016) - https://tweedforum.org/eddleston-project-database/

Restoration of the natural system

• Reforest where possible

• Close drainage channels

• Restore flood zones along streams

• Reforest streams for shading

• Stimulate meandering of streams

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Lower Danube Green Corridor. Author: WWF; Source: WWF Fact Sheet - September 2010; http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_ldgc.pdfProject description - https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/case-studies/lower-danube-green-corridor-floodplain-restoration-for-flood-protection

Maria Ionescu & Adrian Stanica (GeoEcoMar)

Photos from: http://danube.panda.org/wwf/web/search/media.jsp?pid=41&mid=65547 https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/3997/lower-danube-green-corridor

NBS as ‘standard practise’ Lower Danube

‘most cost-effective measure in flood protection’

How do we get to concrete recovery actions under the Green Deal?

• Multistakeholder challenges – Collaborative planning

• Financial aspects – Natural Assurance Schemes

• Long term funding strategies

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http://naiad2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NAIAD_Info.pdf

Source S. Janssen, Deltares, meerwaarde van samenwerken

Future research needs to tackle uncertainties

• Testing extreme events

• Long term monitoring to understand and evaluate uncertainty and dynamics over time

• Define Key Performance Indicators

• Enablers for implementing/mainstreaming large scale – basin wide strategy

• Limits to functionality must be better understood – part of larger DRR strategy

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Photo – Robbert de Koning Photo: Deltares

Key conclusions

1. NBS can play an important role in the implementation of the Green Deal

2. Stimulate NBS on catchment scale through proper masterplanning and evalution of all goals using Key Performance Indicators

3. Include all stakeholders for multi-benefit solutions from the early start

4. Provide proper finances for implementation and monitoring and evaluation

5. Knowledge development on specific aspects helps acceptance and easier adaptation

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Acknowledgements -Concepts presented here are based on discussions within the Community of Practice on Stream- and River Restoration in the Netherlands, facilitated by STOWA and joint research activities with the Ecoshape consortium, World Bank and Asian Development Bank

Thank you

Take home messages: 6 enablers for NBS in water management

1. Assure technical assessments and full system understanding are well covered

2. Multi-stakeholder cooperation from the early onset - Make unconventional consortia and alliances

3. Adaptive monitoring, management and maintenance are standard and part of the design

4. Institutional embedding is helped by regulations and guidance documents

5. No project without finances – ensure new types of business cases using LCC and approprateevaluation of ‘traditional’ and NBS solutions’ for multiple benefits and goals

6. Educate, train, talk, meet, show, learn, listen and be inspired

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Room for the River

22Photos – Robbert de Koning

https://issuu.com/ruimtevoorderivier/docs/depoldering_noordwaard__flood_plain

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Contact

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[email protected]

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