The Living Lab for Mud: Integrated Sediment Management Based on Building with Nature Concepts
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XXII - Enhance the Harmony between Dredging and Ecology
Authors:
L. Sittoni, E.M.M van Eekelen, F. van der Goot and H.E. Nieboer
Abstract
"In 2017, EcoShape has initiated the Living Lab for Mud (LLM). The aim of this Living Lab is to develop integrated knowledge and technologies to improve understanding and implementation of management, use and reuse of fine and soft sediments, often coupled to the application and re-installation of coastal ecosystems such as salt marshes and mangroves. Common worldwide issues in estuarine environments are turbidity increase, degradation of water quality and enhanced siltation on the one hand, and coastal erosion, degradation of salt marshes and mangroves and recurrent flooding on the other hand. This indicates that smart sediment management is more prominently necessary. Meanwhile, coastal development activities demand large quantities of sediment as building material. The LLM aims to address the full range of these issues in a very practical way. Within several pilot and full-scale projects in the Netherlands and abroad, various aspects and processes of sediment management are studied for further integration. By conducting several pilots in specific settings that study a specific combination of these aspects and processes, the LLM aims to derive Building with Nature (BwN) concepts that can drive site-specific sustainable solutions. Pilots include optimization of strategic sediment disposal to nourish coastal mudflats, using natural hydrodynamic processes (Mud Motor, The Netherlands), onshore ripening of mud into clay to build dikes (Clay Ripening pilot, The Netherlands), enhancing sediment trapping to encourage mangroves restoration and coastal accretion (Demak, Indonesia), utilization of fine dredged material for island construction (Marker Wadden, The Netherlands) and construction of new salt marshes (Marconi, The Netherlands). This paper will further elaborate on the ongoing activities within the LLM and give an overview of the first insights and lessons learned from all the five pilot projects."
Keywords: Sediment management, Beneficial use of sediment, Fine sediments, Building with Nature, Dredging.