Robust Water Systems

Aim

The system of study in this assignment comprises the region “Kanaalzone Zeeuws-Vlaanderen” (between the Western Scheldt Estuary, shores of the channel Ghent – Terneuzen, Braakman creek recreational area, and to the South crossing the Dutch/Belgian border (including Isabella and Leopold canals). The aims of the study are threefold:

Setting criteria for robustness so that we can test future changes against these criteria. What is really robust and why?
Definition of an ideal Robust Water System for the region using the criteria defined under 1 and the input of strategic developments (Visie Waterbeheer 2050, SAZ+, Vitale Kanaalzone, Nieuwe Sluis)
To sketch an outline of the future of our Robust Water System (timeframe now to 2030 and 2050) starting from the current situation in order to determine how resilient it really is (foreward projection). This requires: an update of the project map of the region to the extent as if all described project possibilities have already been executed. This requires further detailing of the projects and expected outcome.
Translating the ideal resilient future to measures needed today (backward projection).
- Analyse what this means to currently desired interventions in the region.
- Determine which gaps still exist in relation to our ambitions and jointly define what is still required (and by when) to complete the desired picture.

A group of six students will work on this assignment:

3 students on aims 1, 2 and 3
3 students on aims 1, 2 and 4

Startdatum: januari 1, 2010
Einddatum: december 31, 2025

Fresh water availability, supply and buffering in a saline environment, with increasing fresh water stress.

Low coastal areas like the Netherlands and Belgium experience salt water intrusion and therefore limited sources of fresh water. In the south-western region of the Netherlands fresh water is obtained from the Biesbosch basins, which are located at least 100 km from the consumers. These consumers are industry, households and agriculture/livestock. With increasing fluctuations in precipitation and (likely) sea level rise, this fresh water stress is very likely to increase in the (near) future. In order to decrease the dependence on remote fresh water sources, and thus increase local resilience, precipitation should be better collected and preserved, instead of immediate discharge to the (saline) sea, which is currently done to prevent flooding. Integrating fresh water storage and supply with spatial planning, while maintaining or even upgrading the water quality, benefitting all stakeholders is the challenge for current and future delta developments.

Project Robust Water System aims to increase the resilience of the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen region by incorporating water multi-sourcing and ‘fit for use’ strategies. These strategies require close collaborations with stakeholders (end-users, government, research). Water sources are expanded towards Belgian polder run-off, municipal WWTP effluent, Dow WWTP effluent and rainwater. Agriculture is using polder run-off and potable water but do experience fresh water scarcity during periods of severe drought. Nature areas suffer from drought periods – overall there is a lack of salt nature.

Subprojecten

Project	Startdatum	Einddatum	Samenvatting
Fresh water availability	1 januari 2018		This projects contributes to integrating fresh water storage and supply in spatial planning, while maintaining or even upgrading the water quality, benefitting all stakeholders. Phases of this (larger) project B, divided into sub-projects C: Initiating: Braakman Zuid possibilities; Proposed: reuse surface water with wetlands; Execution: mild desalination, enhanced reuse; Finalised: desalination of seawater (not feasible)
Impact project Spatial Adaptation Robust Water System Zeeuws Vlaanderen	1 juni 2016	30 november 2016	The aim of this project was to positively contribute to the cooperation of participating parties and capturing and sharing their knowledge and experience. The knowledge will be shared in the form of a wiki, developed by the HZ University of Applied Sciences. The wiki is a tool that will detect the interrelationships between the various initiatives within the robust water system, with the aim of strengthening collaboration of existing parties and stimulating new parties to participate. See: https://hz.nl/en/projects/robuust-watersysteem.
Living Lab Fresh Water E4 (Proeftuin Zoet Water E4)	1 januari 2015	31 maart 2017	Fresh water availability can be increased by mild desalination brackish water sources. Demonstrating that desalination is a viable option was proven in the E4Water project (http://www.e4water.eu). The brackish water source, however, comes with variable flows and quality and could be buffered and treated in a constructed wetland in order to remove suspended solids and phosphorous. This project investigated the feasibility of such constructed wetland. In order to provide 10,000 m3 per day a wetland of 12 ha was proposed, which could produce at least 85% of the required fresh water. Additional benefits associated with the wetland, like tourism or changing water intake by local farmers, were negligible. The cost of such infrastructure is substantial, an estimated 4.1 MEuro. Answering the question whether this investment is acceptable with respect to the mitigated risk of water not being available was not part of this assessement.

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