Interactive, rapid-assessment design and planning tools to aid design and communication
Type:
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2012 - Virtue, Venture and Vision in the Coastal Zone
Authors:
Morelissen R, de Boer WP, Hoekstra R and Luijendijk AP - Deltares, the Netherlands
Abstract: The Ecoshape Building with Nature program developed a vast amount of new knowledge aiming at the use of natural processes and the creation of opportunities for nature while realising hydraulic infrastructure. The program has also shown the importance of early stakeholder involvement in dredging projects and of the ability to communicate clearly on the expected effects of the project.
A key objective of the Building with Nature project was to make the developed knowledge openly available and usable. To this end, guidelines and tools are developed, including interactive, rapid-assessment design and planning tools. This paper discusses two interactive tools and their potential roles in design and communication processes in dredging projects: 1) the Interactive Dredge Planning Tool and 2) the Interactive Coastal Design Tool.
The Interactive Dredge Planning Tool is able to perform a rapid assessment of the expected, initial ecological effects induced by dredging operations that can be defined on an interactive map. For this, the tool makes use of rapid-assessment dredge plume modelling, a database with computed hydrodynamic background conditions and a database with ecological information. The results of this assessment can be used to plan or adapt dredging operations, but also to communicate the expected effects in an intuitive way to stakeholders.
The Interactive Coastal Design Tool aims to facilitate stakeholder discussions in the design process of new coastal interventions. Stakeholders can implement groins, (mega-) nourishments or ports on an interactive map and rapidly evaluate the consequences of their decisions on indicators such as coastline development, dune development and suitability for benthos habitats. The tool's ability to evaluate (mutual) interactions between new interventions and existing coastal structures in both space (small- vs. large-scale) and time (short- vs. longterm) allows stakeholders to gain insight in the consequences of their choices and, consequently, consider this in the decision making process.
Based on these tool developments, suggested future applications and developments of such interactive tools are discussed.
Keywords: interactive tools, models, communication, stakeholders