Greening the dike revetment with historic sod transplantation technique in a living lab

Coastal flood managers seek to anticipate future flood risk and as a result consider the adaptation of flood defences. Instead of crest heightening, dikes can be adapted to include hydrodynamic reducing vegetated foreshores to form a nature-based hybrid flood defence, for instance; at managed realignments. In this study we investigated the...

Stability of a Tidal Marsh Under Very High Flow Velocities and Implications for Nature-Based Flood Defense

Nature-based strategies, such as wave attenuation by tidal marshes, are increasingly proposed as a complement to mitigate the risks of failure of engineered flood defense structures such as levees. However, recent analysis of historic coastal storms revealed smaller dike breach dimensions if there were natural, high tidal marshes in front of...

The application of an environmental performance framework for climate adaptation innovations on two nature-based adaptations

In this paper, we introduce and test a framework to qualitatively assess the environmental impact of climate adaptation innovations with the ambition to facilitate the implementation of these adaptations. The framework was designed to enable continuous environmentally conscious benchmarking based on three environmental performance indicators:...

Flood risk reduction by parallel flood defences – Case-study of a coastal multifunctional flood protection zone

In this paper the safety of a double-dike system (or twin dikes) is assessed. Such a system consist of two parallel lines of flood defences. During storms the combined strength of the parallel flood defences must prevent flooding of the hinterland. A culvert can be implemented for the tidal exchange of sea water to enable new land-uses in the...

How natural processes contribute to flood protection: A sustainable adaptation scheme for a wide green dike

Effective adaptation to sea-level rise is critical for future flood protection. Nature-based solutions including salt marshes have been proposed to naturally enhance coastal infrastructure. A gently sloping grass-covered dike (i.e. Wide Green Dike) can be strengthened with clay accumulating locally in the salt marsh. This study explores the...

The sensitivity of a dike-marsh system to sea-level rise-a model-based exploration

Integrating natural components in flood defence infrastructure can add resilience to sea-level rise. Natural foreshores can keep pace with sea-level rise by accumulating sediment and attenuate waves before reaching the adjacent flood defences. In this study we address how natural foreshores affect the future need for dike heightening. A...

Re-evaluating safety risks of multifunctional dikes with a probabilistic risk framework

It is not uncommon for a flood defence to be combined with other societal uses as a multifunctional flood defence, from housing in urban areas to nature conservation in rural areas. The assessment of the safety of multifunctional flood defences is often done using conservative estimates. This study synthesizes new probabilistic approaches to...

How “wide green dikes” were reintroduced in The Netherlands: a case study of the uptake of an innovative measure in long-term strategic delta planning

This article describes and analyzes the reintroduction of the “wide green dike” in the Netherlands. It is a noteworthy example of implementation of an innovation in long-term strategic delta planning. The Dutch Delta Program was central herein. Pursuing its ambition to make the Netherlands climate-proof, the Delta Program invited a diverse set...

A Testing and Implementation Framework (TIF) for Climate Adaptation Innovations: Final Version of the TIF - Deliverable 5.2

This report focuses on the methodological development of the testing and implementation framework (TIF) for increasing the socio-technical readiness of climate adaptation innovations and assessing their impact on different socio-economic and environmental sectors. It is designed to be read by innovators and used as a supporting document for the...

A Testing and Implementation Framework (TIF) for Climate Adaptation Innovations: Initial Version of the TIF - Deliverable 5.1

Currently there is no internationally accepted framework for assessing the readiness of innovations that reduce disaster risk. To fill this gap, BRIGAID is developing a standard, comprehensive Testing and Implementation Framework (TIF). The TIF is designed to provide innovators with a framework for innovation and guidelines for assessing an...

Risk reduction by combining nature values with flood protection?

In the Netherlands, the concept of a multifunctional dike has already often been implemented, and has been identified as a promising climate adaptation measure. In a multifunctional dike, functions like urban development, transport infrastructure, recreation, agriculture or nature are deliberately combined with its primary flood protection...