Case studies
The Interreg North Sea Region project Building with Nature supports the practical implementation of Nature Based Solutions, by a scientific evidence base through performance monitoring at 13 natural catchments and coastal laboratories. National and local authorities as well as experts from practice and academics have gathered around these laboratories to share and develop knowledge and experiences of Building with Nature solutions.
This project uses these living laboratories as examples for creating an evidence base for selecting sites, designing measures and calculating the costs, benefits and effectiveness of measures with a view to ultimately generating business cases.
Learn more about the case studies by clicking on them via the links below or visit the interactive project map.
Coastal cases
The coastal laboratories assess the effectiveness of foreshore and beach nourishments to reduce coastal erosion and flood risk.
Catchment studies
The river catchment laboratories reduce river flood risk and create natural habitats and recreational areas simultaneously.
Dutch Coastal Laboratories
Three Dutch laboratories are nourished frequently. The experience of the behaviour of these nourishments will contribute to the evidence base of the effectiveness of nourishments in the NSR.
Ameland tidal inlet
The aim of this research is to collect knowledge that enables to optimise the maintenance and management of our sandy coast after 2020. The collected knowledge will be used in a policy advice for the Ministry.
Side channels Dutch Rhine branches
After making an inventory of the side channels in the Netherlands, measurements with respect to bed decomposition and discharge distribution were carried out in a selected side channel system.
Houtribdijk
The Houtribdijk connects Lelystad to Enkhuizen and separates Lake Marken from Lake IJssel. The Houtribdijk acts as a wave breaker and prevents a water level increase due to storm surges and wind fetch.
Gully Management
Gully Management coastal lab investigates the desirability to shift shore protection management habits from using industrial ore-debris lining to morphological relocation of the gully undermining the dike.
Twin Dikes
The dike between Eemshaven and Delfzijl needs strengthening. But instead of the conventional solution, the Twin dike adopted a different approach: By constructing a second inland dike.
Kleine Nete catchment
To climate-proof the valley of the Kleine Nete, a number of measures have already been successfully implemented. However, specific attention should be given to potential sites near recreation areas in the city of Kasterlee.
Restoration streams of the Råån
The municipality of Helsingborg performed various nature-based measures in the catchment of the Lussebäcken stream. Now a comprehensive study has been conducted to find out about the effect of these measures.
Tidal Flush Basin
The Tidal Flush Basin coastal lab seeks to create additional opportunities for fish and other species’ migration between outside saltwater conditions and inland freshwater conditions.
Coast Oostende-Mariakerke
At the Belgian coast, beach nourishments are used to reinforce the upper part. By feeding the shoreface an additional sand buffer is created that can be carried towards the upper beach by the natural dynamics of the system.
Eddleston water project
This project is a long-term study of the effectiveness of Natural Flood Management on reducing flood risk to downstream communities. A parallel aim is to assess the impact of measures to improve river habitats.
Langeoog
Langeoog’s beaches are highly dependent on complex natural variability in dynamics of sand transport. In 2017 and 2018, a combined beach and foreshore nourishment was implemented on Langeoog.
Sylt beach
The sandy coastline of Sylt is subject to coastal retreat due to storm surges, tidal currents and waves. Solutions have to be found and permanently improved to protect nature and infrastructure in this area.
Retreat Ystad Skåne
Sandy beaches are dynamic and the coastline fluctuates. In this project, we aimed to investigate the coast to find locations suitable for planned retreat and ecosystem-based solutions to handle the problems with erosion.
Eelgrass Lommabukten Skåne
Seagrass meadows are highly productive ecosystems that perform numerous functions such as providing food for numerous marine species. The project aims to assess if eelgrass meadows attenuate wave conditions in Skåne.
Krogen Denmark
Krogen is a very narrow sand barrier. The aim is a safety level corresponding to a 1/100 year event, and to stop the profile retreat. This is achieved by sand nourishment both on the beach and the outer bar.
Skodbjerge Denmark
Skodbjerge is a narrow sand barrier. The aim is a safety level corresponding to a 1/100 year event, and to reduce the profile retreat to 0.75 m/year. This is achieved by sand nourishment, primarily at the outer bar.