Spatial aspects of water and its environment

The aim of this investigation was to develop new methodologies to alleviate or reduce the environmental impact of traditional civil engineering structures. On the basis of a tailor-made conceptual framework, the implications of large infrastructural projects have been identified, worked out and judged. Evaluation was done by checking whether, or to what extent, these projects contributed to sustainable development. Therefore, a framework was developed with standards that indicate the importance of the aspects of sustainable development. Environmental measures have been worked out for the river area (aimed at minimising the risks of flooding), for the higher and lower parts of the Netherlands (aimed at minimising water problems in periods of excessive rainfall), and for the dune-coast (aimed at creating space for natural dynamism).

• costs: the (financial) sacrifice by society
• robustness: reliability, viz. the assurance that measures are effective under all circumstances
• flexibility: being able to react to changing circumstances (in the field of social needs, as well as unforeseen climate changes); this is done according to minimal future regrets
• opportunities for user functions: a possible contribution to the economical development
• environmental values: preservation, creation and increase of environmental values and of possibilities for nature development
• spatial quality: the feeling for and the appreciation of the landscape

• Spatial measures can be appealing from the view point of sustainability, more so when there are no substantial economical issues at stake. This presents opportunities to combine spatial measures with more current measures and to develop the best possible strategy for the local situation.
• Depending on the local situation, spatial measures are often more expensive than the customary measures. This is also caused by the fact that with customary measures (like increasing the height of levees) a profound base is already laid so that only additional costs are made for supplemental activities that are of relatively limited dimension.
• Spatial measures are consequently not cost-effective on a short term basis. But these types of measures do contribute to change the trend of gradually increasing costs for management and maintenance, and the associated bureaucracy in an downward direction.

more information

For more information please contact Herman van der Most.