Coastal Engineers Embrace Nature: Characterizing the Metamorphosis in Hydraulic Engineering in Terms of Four Continua

Abstract

Hydraulic engineering infrastructures, such as reservoirs, dikes, breakwaters, and inlet closures, have significantly impacted ecosystem functioning over the last two centuries. Currently, nature-based solutions are receiving increasing attention in hydraulic engineering projects and research programs. However, there is a lack of reflection on the concomitant, fundamental changes occurring in the field of hydraulic engineering, and coastal engineering in particular, and what this could mean for sustainability. In this article, we signal the shift from conventional to ecosystem-based hydraulic engineering design and characterize this in terms of four continua: (i) the degree of inclusion of ecological knowledge, (ii) the extent to which the full infrastructural lifecycle is addressed, (iii) the complexity of the actor arena taken into account, and (iv) the resulting form of the infrastructural artefact. We support our arguments with two carefully selected, iconic examples from the Netherlands and indicate how the stretching ideals of ecosystem-based engineering could engender further shifts towards sustainability.

The value of historical and archaeological data in understanding patterns of long term coastal change

“…Today it is 0.25m above CD. At the time of construction it Momber et al, 2011, Ke and Collins, 2002Momber et al, 2021Smith, 2015Momber et al, 2011;Momber and Peeters, 2017;Momber, 2021 would have been positioned around the mean tide level, being c.2.5m above CD, and covered by the sea for half the tidal cycle. It is not substantial enough to survive in open water so it would have been built in a sheltered intertidal creek where it was protected by the coastal mudflats and salt marsh (Figure 10).…”

“…The historical perspective explains the evolution of threats from flooding and why some areas are more susceptible to inundation. However, in the UK, while the recent publication of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Galloway, 2013Vos et al, 2014Missiaen, 2014bSlinger and Vreugdenhil, 2020Hermans et al, 2013Vlaanderen 2011de Vriend et al, 2014Pontee et al, Risk Management Strategy for England acknowledges that 'Coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process that has been happening for thousands of years' 30 , it does not advocate that we look to historical evidence to identify the causal relationship that links the past with the present. This would offer a useful narrative for stakeholders along low lying coastal regions, and river floodplains, in this time of increased storm and flood events, as well as providing scientific data points for coastal managers.…”

Coastal Flood Risk Reduction

“…Such naturebased solutions are characterized by disciplinary integration, including multiple perspectives in the determination of design requirements, and long-term time frames that balance the limitations of the Earth's natural systems and the socio-technical systems created by humans (Klaassen, Kothuis, & Slinger, 2021). The infrastructural artifacts reflect these characteristics in their form (Slinger & Vreugdenhil, 2020) and are sometimes designed to disappear over time, e.g., the Sand Engine in South Holland (Bontje & Slinger, 2017;. The novelty of the nature-based solution concept presented an additional challenge to the design of an appropriate learning environment.…”

Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Engineering and Management

“…The scene is set by a review paper that defines coastal resilience, claiming that Building with Nature approaches are intrinsic to achieving resilience [1]. All authors concur that nature-based solutions provide a means of meeting nature restoration goals as well as addressing socio-economic needs [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. While one article evaluates the cost effectiveness of a particular solution [6], a critically reflective article compares nature-based solutions with conventional engineering solutions, distinguishing four axes, two of which relate to the inclusion of multiple stakeholders and ecological knowledge [5].…”

“…Indeed, Slinger and Vreugdenhil [5] adopting a critical reflection method focused on the design process, indicate that ecological knowledge is critical. In seeking to establish the degree to which a hydraulic infrastructure forms a nature-based solution, they distinguish four axes, namely:…”