Floods are among the most expensive disasters for delta areas. Delta areas are economically very vulnerable because of their intensive land uses. However, traditional approaches to diminish the risks of floods – as for example dikes - provide only limited protection. This project focusses on flood risk management related to planning and land use and discusses alternative approaches to store abundant water from river floods (and also flash floods) in more innovative ways. The technical and hydrological conditions for these options are relatively well known, but such measures inevitably affect private land use. Interventions in private land uses are complicated (especially because of fragmented land ownership), time-consuming and expensive. Implementation of retention areas and increase of resilience are hampered by lacking land management tools for private land.

The main innovation in this project is the focus on private land. Usually, flood risk management deals first with technical and hydrological issues before addressing land management. This is in sharp contrast with the urgent need for flood retention and resilience on private land in urban areas. This project turns the traditional perspective upside down and prioritizes the land users’ perspective. Therefore, new concepts and approaches for implementing flood retention and resilience on private land need to be elaborated. The central question is this: how can private land use and users be encouraged or forced to store water and thus create a more resilient urban land use in deltas?

This question is be addressed in a 2,5 day academic workshop, where the consortium works on a HORIZON project to ultimately submit a major research application.One of the main aims of Future Deltas is to bring together expertise on pressing issues in delta regions. This workshop is not only highly interdisciplinary and international cooperation and research but it is also highly innovative in its approach.

• prof. mr. drs. Jan Biemans
• prof. mr. Marleen van Rijswick

• Prof. Dr. Jirina Jílková (J.E.P. University Ústí nad Labem; Czech Republic)
• Prof. Dr. Jochen Schanze (TU Dresden & IÖR Dresden; Germany)
• Dr. Simon McCarthy (Flood Hazard Research Centre London; UK)

Large scale flood events occur with growing frequency, with high economic impacts. There is a general consensus among experts, that for an effective management of the risk of large flood events coordinated cross-border approaches focused on the whole river basin are necessary. The overall aim of the project is the establishment of an  interdisciplinary network of institutions and experts with focus on cross-border management  of flood risk. The expertise of Elbe, Rhine and Danube river basin management in governance and technical solutions in water and land management and in complex planning approaches will be critically evaluated and innovative solution will be proposed.

Please check the project website: http://fse.ujep.cz/floods

• Prof Jirina Jilkova (J.E. Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem Czech Republic)
• Prof Robert Jüpner (University of Kaiserslautern - Germany)
• Prof. Bernhard Müller & Dr. Juliane Albrecht & Prof. Jochen Schanze (Leibniz Institut für ökologische Raumentwicklung - Germany)
• Prof. Colin Green (Middlesex University - UK)
• Prof. Walter Seher (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences - Vienna)
• Prof Maros Finka (Slovak Technical University - Bratislava)
• Prof Tatiana Kluvankova (Slovak Academy of Sciences)
• Prof. Rainer Danielzyk (ARL - Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung - Germany)

Knowledge for Climate is a research programme for the development of knowledge and services that makes it possible to climate proof the Netherlands. Governmental organisations (central government, provinces, municipalities and water boards) and businesses, actively participate in research programming through the input of additional resources (matching).

Knowledge is developed within the research programme that is necessary to be able to assess investments to be made in spatial planning and infrastructure over the coming twenty years in terms of their resistance to climate change, and for making changes where necessary. It is about climate proofing the Netherlands.

• dr. Heleen Mees

• TNO

One Corridor - One Strategy

Joint regional development for the north-south corridor

The INTERREG IVB NWE Project “CODE24 – Corridor Development Rotterdam-Genoa” (2010-2015) aimed at a joint integrated approach towards the future development of the TEN-T core network corridor Rhine-Alpine and intended the interconnection of economic development, spatial, transport and ecological planning and thus, addressing urgent conflicts of capacity, sustainability and quality of life along the corridor.

After five years, the CODE24 project partners presented a common strategy for the future development of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, the main transport corridor of Europe.

The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation “Interregional Alliance for the Rhine-Alpine Corridor EGTC” shall continue the strategic initiative of CODE24 for the securing of a long-term partnership and cooperation beyond the limited INTERREG project period.

• dr. Patrick Witte

• dr. Bart Wiegmans