The Schelde estuary, with its tidal flats and marshes along an uninterrupted salinity gradient from a marine to a fresh water system, is almost unique in Europe. On top of its important contributions towards national and international biodiversity it performs multiple socio-economic functions of vital importance. To combine all these functions in a sustainable way an integrated management is needed, based on the comprehension of its functioning and aimed at an optimal tuning of all processes and functions involved. With this report we hope to initiate a productive dialogue, one step ahead towards the integrated management of the Schelde estuary. It forms part of an agreement between the Administration of Waterways and Water infrastructure and some Flemish environmental organisations. The agreement was concluded as a result of protest actions against the deepening of the Westerschelde and it should result in a fruitful cooperation towards a more integrated management for the Flemish waterways. This pilot study explores possibilities to couple ecological rehabilitation and the creation of sustainable river related nature with the security measures of the SIGMA plan (a protection plan against floods) and the navigation requisites for the Zeeschelde. It also integrates the proposals from MEIRE et al. (1992), HOFFMANN (1993) and the AMIS study (general environmental impact assessment of the Sigmaplan). The decreased self-cleaning capacity of the river, the highly fragmented ecologica1 infrastructure, the accelerated sedimentation and increased tidal amplitude inhibit a proper functioning of the estuarine ecosystem. They are combined consequences of land reclamation, channelisation, land use and water management in the catchment area, discharge manipulations and the general sea level rise. They bring about the ecosystems limited carrying capacity and resilience, its increased contribution to the eutrofication of the North Sea, impoverished biotic communities, flood hazzard and reduced navigability. Possible ...