Nature-based flood protection: The efficiency of vegetated foreshores for reducing wave loads on coastal dikes

This paper analyses the effect of vegetation on wave damping under severe storm conditions, based on a combination of field measurements and numerical modelling. The field measurements of wave attenuation by vegetation were performed on two salt marshes with two representative but contrasting coastal wetland vegetation types: cordgrass ...

Overview and Design Considerations of Storm Surge Barriers

The risk of flooding in coastal zones is expected to increase due to sea level rise and economic development. In larger bays, estuaries, and coastal waterways, storm surge barriers can be constructed to temporarily close off these systems during storm surges to provide coastal flood protection. Worldwide, 18 storm surge barriers have been...

Coastal protection of the Bạc Liêu province by rehabilitation of the mangrove forest

In the southern part of Vietnam, where the lower Mekong Delta is located, coastal erosion problems occur. In the Bạc Liêu province, one of the twelve provinces in the Mekong Delta, the width of the mangrove belt between the sea dyke and the sea is reduced by 100 m in the last four years. By rehabilitation of the mangrove forest, the hinterland...

Stem breakage of salt marsh vegetation under wave forcing: A field and model study

One of the services provided by coastal ecosystems is wave attenuation by vegetation, and subsequent reduction of wave loads on flood defense structures. Therefore, stability of vegetation under wave forcing is an important factor to consider. This paper presents a model which determines the wave load that plant stems can withstand before...

Field-based decadal wave attenuating capacity of combined tidal flats and salt marshes

Foreshores consisting of both bare tidal flats and vegetated salt marshes are found worldwide and they are well studied for their wave attenuating capacity. However, most studies only focus on the small scale: just some isolated locations in space and only up to several years in time. In order to stimulate the implementation of foreshores...

Bridging the dike: an architectural intervention to unlock environmental engineering as a common ground

The Dutch sea water level raised with 24cm over the last 128 years. From a linear increase, we can see an increasing trend since the 1990s. According to recent scientific research, the sea level in the Netherlands will rise 1 to 2 meters by 2100 with a maximum global warming of 2 degrees Celsius. With a temperature rise of 4 degrees, the North...

Coastal Protection of Scheveningen

Due to climate change a rise in sea level is expected, which is a threat to the coastline of the Netherlands. The area of the project focuses on the seaside resort of Scheveningen, and specifically on the area from the Morales boulevard to the start of the natural dunes. The reason for this specific area is because the municipality of The Hague...

Towards a nature-based solution for the Brouwersdam beach in the Netherlands: Following the Building with Nature approach to counteract long-term erosion of a recreational beach as a consequence of large-scale morphological changes in a closed-off outer delta

Since the Brouwersdam was built as part of the Delta plan, the Grevelingen outer delta undergoes large-scale morphological changes. These changes led to the formation of a shoal adjacent to the dam, which is referred to as the Brouwersdam beach. The beach has been eroding and shifting towards the northeast ever since. The beach has no safety...

Colored Water: Designing a resilient landscape framework that facilitates water safety and batik development in Pekalongan city

As one of the most important ecosystems on the planet, the coastal zone accommodates a denser population than the hinterland and faces faster urbanization and higher population growth. Meanwhile, the coastal zone is exposed to several climate change disasters in the context of a sensitive environment dominated by water. It is considered with...

Hydrodynamic and ecological performance of a new modular unit for living breakwaters: Wave flume experiments and results

Living breakwaters are designed to protect the coast against flooding and erosion, whilst at the same time they enhance the local ecological system by incorporating natural reef components. This study investigates the design of a modular artificial reef developed by the company called Reefy. Reefy breakwaters will consist of interlocking blocks...

Morphological wave attenuation of the nature-based flood defense: A case study from Chongming Dongtan Shoal, China

The risk of coastal storm flooding is deteriorating under global warming, especially for the heavily urbanized deltaic cities, like Shanghai. The Nature-Based Flood Defense (NBFD), as an eco-friendly design alternative for hard infrastructure against coastal flooding, is gaining attention. Nevertheless, the vulnerability of saltmarsh due to...

Effectiveness of community-based mangrove management for coastal protection: A case study from Central Java, Indonesia

Management and restoration of mangrove forests to protect coasts are promoted in many countries, including Indonesia. Indonesian mangrove forests are actively restored and managed by local communities for their ecosystem services, including coastal protection. Whether community-based mangrove management (CBMM) is effective is still debated....

Modelling stability of Avicennia marina mangroves under wave and wind loads: Effect of soil and root system on tree resistance

Mangroves can provide coastal protection by attenuating waves, currents, and trapping sediment (Menéndez et al., 2020; Bao, 2011). The effect of mangroves on the hydrodynamics depends on their size, location, density, distribution and morphology of the vegetation (Mendez and Losada, 2004). Mangrove loss during storm events will therefore impact...

Dune Erosion on the Falsterbo Peninsula: Assessing the Dune System for Coastal Safety in Regions with Complex Interactions Between Waves and Water levels

The Falsterbo Peninsula is a low-lying area that provides a home to 7,000 residents, as well as various bird and vegetation species. To protect this densely populated area, the municipality was granted a permit to build flood protections. As part of the strategy, the dune system in the study area will be used as natural barriers against storm...