Innovative solutions for sediment and river management

Within our pilots we focus on defining, testing and applying solutions to assess the impact of climate change on five crucial challenges in sediment and river management:

• Erosion of river banks and surrounding soils, affecting sediment load.
• Sediment transport from upstream to downstream in rivers.
• Local sediment balance – too much or too little sediment affects local solutions.
• Sediment quality, which affects soil and drinking water during floods.
• Sediment solutions within the river system, such as wetlands, islands and intertidal areas, and their suitability for sustainable habitats and ecology.

How do we approach this?

We develop develop and implement monitoring and modelling techniques at nine pilot sites in three river basins (Ireland, Belgium, France and Germany). These techniques are applied by river managers to evaluate the cascade effects from upstream to estuary. In this way, we support sediment strategies and action plans for cross-border cooperation and climate-proof, site-specific solutions.