NWO Living Labs in the Dutch Delta

The Hedwige-Prosper Polder as a future-oriented experiment in managed realignment: integrating saltmarshes in water safety. Within this bigger project, we focus on the sub-project 'Nature-based design and maintenance of dikes'.

Research introduction

In the coming four years, the Hedwige-Prosperpolder in the Schelde estuary will be reopened for nature restoration. This creates opportunities, within a binational Dutch-Belgian consortium, to experiment with the existing dike and to perform targeted dike breach experiments and breach monitoring. In this project will be investigated technically how marshes restrict dike breaching, how realignment can foster marsh development and how dikes should be designed in this context. Furthermore, there will be monitored whether these new insights can reconnect people with the changed landscape.

Research challenges

The objective of the 'Nature-based design and maintenance of dikes' project is to develop innovative nature-based design and maintenance of dikes, providing ecological connectivity between dike and foreland, maintaining dike integrity and optimizing ecosystem services, by:

• Experimental study on the short-term impact of nature-based adaptations on the grass-covered seaward face
• Experimental study on the short-term impact of different regimes for the removal of debris from the adjacent salt- marsh
• Assessing the impact on safety by modelling
• Development of guidance on nature- based adaptation and maintenance of dikes