An integrated approach to define estuarine system resilience, applied to the Upper Sea Scheldt, Flanders, Belgium

The Upper Sea Scheldt (Flanders, Belgium) is a part of the Scheldt estuary which extends from the North-Sea in the Netherlands to the shipping locks in Ghent with a total length of 160 km. Challenges on flood protection and nature development in this unique fresh water estuarine system are addressed in the Sigma-plan. Cumulative effects of i) the autonomous morphological development of the estuary, ii) the further evolution as a consequence of past realignments and dredging works, and iii) sea level rise, result in an increase of tidal dynamics and turbidity which affect both habitat and light... Mehr ...