Framework for a Sustainable Dredging Strategy
Type:
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2007 - The Day After we Stop Dredging, Rotterdam
Authors:
Geense M, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Abstract: The strict environmental requirements of European legislation has urged port authorities and related bodies to work together in the NEW! Delta project. The working group on Sustainable Dredging Strategies has developed a procedural framework to determine the most sustainable dredging strategy. The project includes case studies in three estuaries that host habitats and species of high ecological value: the Humber, Seine and Western Scheldt. The dredging strategy must be an integral part of the total environmental management plan of the estuary. It must be based on a conceptual understanding of the natural dynamics of the system, as well as of the effects of all uses and users. The significance of potential impacts of dredging is related to the natural variability of the system and to the vulnerability of the feature of interest.
Keywords: Sustainability, environmental management, eco-system, Habitats Directive