Dutch coasts in transition

Kabat, P.; Fresco, L.O.; Stive, M.J.F.; Veerman, Cees; Alphen, J. S. L. J. Van; Parmet, B.; Hazeleger, Wilco; Katsman, Caroline A.

doi:10.1038/ngeo572

Cited by 118 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Avoiding lock-in to a specific adaptation is of particular benefit, as it will provide the stakeholder with more decisions. The Rhine-MeuseScheldt delta is the most advanced and has been investing in methods of improving the sustainability of the delta system through ideas such as 'Building with Nature' (Kabat et al, 2009). Hence, innovation in engineering adaptation in deltas continues and this is expected to influence the future coevolution of deltas.…”

Section: Impacts Of the Engineered Adaptation On The Deltamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolving deltas: Coevolution with engineered interventions

Welch

Nicholls

Lázár

2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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Deltaic environments are often densely populated with high socio-economic values, and thus are hotspots of climatic, environmental and anthropogenic change. Large scale engineered structures, such as dike systems, have played an important role in shaping both environmental and socio-economic conditions in deltas, with such interventions more likely where there is a high population and a wealthy economy. Engineered interventions interact with the morphological evolution of the delta, reducing or removing sedimentation and accelerating subsidence, increasing the consequences of flooding and necessitating further adaptation. They also encourage further development, reinforcing this feedback. Thus, in these cases, the deltaic landscape and associated livelihoods can be considered to be the result of a coevolution process between natural delta processes and human engineered interventions. This paper explores this hypothesis. It analyses the history of large scale engineering interventions and their implications in five representative, large, populated deltas across the globe (Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, Yangtze, Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt, Mekong and Nile). The results demonstrate coevolution has occurred and indicate that the response type and the management approach of these engineered structures have significant implications for future delta development. To understand and manage unintended consequences and the development of lock-in trajectories in deltas, a systematic understanding of delta development, including these coevolution processes is essential.

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Section: Impacts Of the Engineered Adaptation On The Deltamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolving deltas: Coevolution with engineered interventions

Welch

Nicholls

Lázár

2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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“…6, represent a managed coastal system unwilling to tolerate damage but reluctant to invest in the scale of infrastructural maintenance necessary to prevent it. By contrast, of any managed coastline in the world, the best example of a long-term optimization strategy in practice must be the Netherlands, strategy in practice must be the Netherlands (Kabat et al, 2005(Kabat et al, , 2009, whose damage-versus-investment trajectory might look more like Fig. 5a.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threshold effects of hazard mitigation in coastal human–environmental systems

Lazarus

2014

Earth Surf. Dynam.

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Abstract. Despite improved scientific insight into physical and social dynamics related to natural disasters, the financial cost of extreme events continues to rise. This paradox is particularly evident along developed coastlines, where future hazards are projected to intensify with consequences of climate change, and where the presence of valuable infrastructure exacerbates risk. By design, coastal hazard mitigation buffers human activities against the variability of natural phenomena such as storms. But hazard mitigation also sets up feedbacks between human and natural dynamics. This paper explores developed coastlines as exemplary coupled human-environmental systems in which hazard mitigation is the key coupling mechanism. Results from a simplified numerical model of an agent-managed seawall illustrate the nonlinear effects that economic and physical thresholds can impart into coastal human-environmental system dynamics. The scale of mitigation action affects the time frame over which human activities and natural hazards interact. By accelerating environmental changes observable in some settings over human timescales of years to decades, climate change may temporarily strengthen the coupling between human and environmental dynamics. However, climate change could ultimately result in weaker coupling at those human timescales as mitigation actions increasingly engage global-scale systems.

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“…Adaptive delta management is a cyclical process that utilizes new knowledge to improve longer-term planning and shorter-term adaptation. Thus, longer-term plans are never complete, but are continuously adapted to changing circumstances, including those circumstances brought about by the Delta Programme's own interventions (Kabat et al 2009). In this way, shorter-term responses that have proven successful should, where possible, be included in subsequent interventions.…”

Section: The Netherland's Delta Programmementioning

confidence: 99%

Taming global flood disasters. Lessons learned from Dutch experience

et al. 2012

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There is a growing international recognition that flood risk management in optima forma should be a programmed and flexible process of continuously improving management practices by active learning about the outcome of earlier and ongoing interventions and drivers of change. In the Netherlands, such a long-term, adaptive flood risk management strategy is now being implemented. This so-called second Delta Programme aims to identify and exploit opportunities and capitalize on short-term benefits and opportunistic synergies that arise from change and will require adaptive policymaking. It also requires the financial and institutional means to operate in a long-lasting way, which at the very least, means engaging stakeholders, gathering and disseminating results and adaptation of future plans. Transferring the Dutch approach to other countries is a major challenge that calls for fundamental changes in institutional arrangements at various levels and thus requires customized programmes for strategic institutional change. Recent examples of transfer will provide important lessons of how institutional change can

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Dutch coasts in transition

Cited by 118 publications

References 2 publications

Evolving deltas: Coevolution with engineered interventions

Evolving deltas: Coevolution with engineered interventions

Threshold effects of hazard mitigation in coastal human–environmental systems

Taming global flood disasters. Lessons learned from Dutch experience

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