Climate change, flood protection and rehabilitation along the River Rhine

Hugo Coops RIZA, The Netherlands ReCCLE, Shimane University, Japan

Climate change, flood protection and rehabilitation along the River Rhine

Human impacts on the Rhine Environment and bank protection (1982) Rhine Action Programme (1987) Plan Stork (1985), Living Rivers (1992) Floods in Europe (1990s), Prospected climate change Water Management of the 21st century (2000), Room for Rivers (2000) EU Water Framework Directive (2000) Pilot projects and Reference studies

The Rhine
River Rhine

River Meuse

The Rhine
Length 1320 km Catchment basin 185 000 km2, (25 000 km2 in the Netherlands) Discharge (Lobith): 2300 m3/s (620 11 885 m3/s) Nine countries: CH, FL, I, A, D, F, LUX, B, NL Population 50 million Major navigation route

Human impacts on the Rhine

River normalisation

River engineering

Bank condition

Environmentally-friendly bank protection: Willow planting on riverbanks

Bank protection by floodplain forest

Natural vegetation in flooplains High nature values Effects on geomorphology Role in bank protection Effects on river discharge

Floodplain forest: wave attenuation

The Rhine as a waterway

300 million ton / year 65% of transported tonnage betweenNetherlands and Germany

Navigation restrictions with low water level

Industrial pollution

Pollution of the Rhine

1970 1980: sewer of Europe 1986 Sandoz accident 1987 Rhine Action Programme 1991 ICPR: Salmon 2000

Ecological deterioration: fish

Ecological deterioration: macro-invertebrates

Successful sanitation
160 140 120
mg/l 2

Oxygen concentration
at Lobith

1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8

Phosphorus concentration
Rhine at Lobith

100 % 80 60 40

0.6 0.4 0.2 0 1968

1973

1979

1984

1990

1995

2001

2006

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20
12

Cadmium concentration
Rhine at Lobith
10 8 ug/l 6 4 2 0 1968

0 1954

1965

1976

1987

1998

2009

1973

1979

1984

1990

1995

2001

2006

Living Rivers: reconnecting river with floodplain

Living rivers: cease agriculture in floodplains

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Floods in Europe

1995 Rhine 2002 Elbe 1993/4 Meuse

2001 Vistula 1997 Oder

2003 Rhone

2002 Danube

High water levels in the Rhine

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Impacts of climate change in the Netherlands

Sea-level increase - Trend 20 cm per 100 years; - Scenario low 20, middle 40, high 60 cm in 2100 - Effects in low-lying areas, estuaries (restricting the free discharge of water to the sea) - Natural adaptation limits???

Impacts of climate change in the Netherlands

Glacier melting and changed precipitation patterns in Rhine catchment area - Scenarios low +1C, middle +2C, high +4C - Maximum monthly flows +20%, minimum monthly flows -20% -Design limit for flood structures: currently 12,000 m3/s likely 15,000 m3/s eventually 18,000 m3/s

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Water Management of the 21th century

Retain Store Discharge

Water accomodation potential

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Regional planning

Possible measures

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Dike reinforcement

-In the 1980s: Protests from inhabitants -Raising dikes is no solution -Dike strengthening rather than raising

Polluted dredged sediment

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Main channel measures

Navigability at low water level: -Groyne construction -Local sediment removal -Permanent bottom layer

Secondary channels

-Combination of flood discharge functions and nature development -Very attractive for recreation -Successful habitat creation for flora and fauna -After pilot projects, 7 flowing side-channels realised

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Floodplain lowering

-On average, 0.5 m or more lower forelands -Good combination with creation of wetland habitats -Digging off clay deposits: use for brick industry

Dike repositioning

Removing bottlenecks and creating space for high water discharge

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Retention areas

-Storage of part of the flood peak is feasible in middle reaches of the river -Areas realized in German part of the Rhine -Public resistance in some areas -Prolongation of present uses, or change of functions (recreation, nature, extensive agriculture)

Removing obstacles in the floodplain

Brick factories Clay and sand depots Minor dikes Roads Bridges >

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Development of hydraulic roughness

Cyclic rejuvenation

25-30 years

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The Grensmaas-project

A plan for flood protection, nature development, gravel mining, and new economic impulses for the transboundary Meuse

The Grensmaas-project
Reference: Upper Meuse (France)

Reference: River Allier (France)

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The Grensmaas-project

The Grensmaas-project

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EU Water Framework Directive (1)

Harmonised legislation of EU member states All water bodies should have the Good Ecological Status by 2015 Classification of water bodies: - natural - heavily modified - artificial Idendification of stressors Assessment of ecological quality elements; intercalibration Standardisation of monitoring Measures to achieve GES

EU Water Framework Directive (2)

Assessment: chemical, hydromorphological and ecological status Reference EQR based on Fish, Macro-invertebrates, condition Phytoplankton, Macrophytes

Bad

Poor

Moderate

Good

Very good

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Reference conditions?

Conclusion
Water pollution has been abated, accumulated sediments remain a problem Hydromorphological changes have been irreversible but ecosystem impacts can (partly) be mitigated (e.g. side-channels, fish-ladders) Room for rivers approach for flood protection includes careful consideration of social and ecological values EU Directives have become very significant for water management; they work towards a more sustainable management of water resources

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