Douve Catchment

The Douve catchment is a cross-border river basin located in France and Belgium, within the Scheldt catchment. Covering around 100 km², the river flows from the Zwarteberg in France to the Lys in Waasten, crossing the borders of Flanders and Wallonia several times. Its hilly landscape and intensive agricultural land use make the area particularly vulnerable to soil erosion and sediment transport.

photo: Regionaal Landschap Westhoek

Why this pilot site?

The Douve is an ideal location to study the impact of erosion and sediment on water quality, biodiversity and flood risk. Sediment carries nutrients and pollutants into watercourses and can lead to silting of rivers and ditches. Because the river crosses national and regional borders, effective sediment management requires close cooperation between France, Flanders and Wallonia.

Sediment retention infrastructure on the Douve river

Lower part of the Douve River with its typical vegetated riparian zone

What do we want to achieve?

The pilot aims to:

Identify erosion hotspots throughout the catchment.
Quantify sediment loads and pathways.
Understand how sediment is transported and deposited.
Assess the impact of climate change and land-use changes.
Support better decision-making for erosion and sediment management.

How will we do this?

ClimASed partners will collect and harmonise monitoring data, including hydrological measurements, sediment samples, soil information and land-use data. These data will feed a high-resolution sediment model that will:

Map erosion-prone areas.
Simulate sediment transport and deposition.
Test the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
Support coordinated management across the entire catchment.

Occasional monitoring in the Douve River (photo credits Integraal Waterbeleid)

By combining scientific modelling with cross-border collaboration, the Douve pilot will provide practical insights to reduce sediment pollution, improve water quality and build a more climate-resilient river system.