Building with Nature

Questions about the pre-design Kleine Nete river

The Flanders Environment Agency would like to know your opinion on some questions they have about the project. It is always interesting to get some insights from outsiders and the Building with Nature project offers a great opportunity to learn from others. It would be great if you could also ask others in your organization to contribute.

We would like to know your opinion about this project. Here are some directional questions:

General

  • Do you have any experience with similar cases? Which points of attention do you see?
  • The realisation of the project is accelerated by pressure from neighbouring farmers who had to cede land and had a hard time accepting that more popular areas would not be affected. Do you think the water manager as a public service has to take this into account?
  • The recreation areas are surrounded by farmland. Here, the water manager has expropriated a 15m strip along the Kleine Nete to create a two stage channel and new dikes. Designing concepts with meanders or compensatory parking places and caravans in agriculture areas would be cheaper, but affects again the agricultural sector. Would you consider such solutions?

Design concept

  • What do you find positive / negative about the design proposals? Which other solutions do you propose?
  • Do you think too much importance is set to the interests of the private companies who own the recreation sites? The recreation areas have to adapt themselves more to a new natural river system.
  • The meanders are not considered as free meandering water courses. Which bank protection do you propose? How would you conceive the embankments?

Financial

  • The redevelopment of both sites will have little impact in reducing the flood risk, but there will be positive effects on other goals of river restoration. Which are the main benefits you think of and how can they financial be valued? Do you think comparing costs and benefits, the investments are worth it?
  • Who has to pay for the realisation of the project? Do you think the government has to bear all the costs? Do you propose a certain distribution key? For the case of the amusement park: should they increase the price of a parking ticket in order to finance the project? What is an acceptable price?

Educational

  • Which educational / sensitization possibilities do you see to promote the Kleine Nete river and water management? Which concrete measures do you propose and on which themes?