Decision support and river management : strategies for the Rhine in the Netherlands

Abstract EN

This paper describes a methodology for assessing and comparing alternative river management strategies for the Dutch branches of the river Rhine.

The three objectives considered in the analysis are: safety against flooding which is a necessary condition to maintain and enhance economic development of a major part of the Netherlands, improving inland navigation conditions along the river (the Rhine is a major transport route between the port of Rotterdam and Germany), and increasing the ecological values of the river system.

This paper describes the methodology and models that are used to assess alternative ways of meeting these objectives.

We used hydrodynamic modelling aided by Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which is a new approach that has some important advantages compared to traditional approaches.

The analysis shows the trade-offs for various strategies (for example safety versus nature, nature versus inland navigation, agriculture versus nature, etc.) and looks for possibilities to create win–win situations.

It also produces scorecards for various strategies, which show their impacts on the functions of the river and their financial consequences.