INTERMEUSE: The Meuse reconnected

In the coming years decision makers are confronted with the question how to combine aims for sustainable flood protection and floodplain rehabilitation in the best possible way. Both topics deal with spatial planning aspects and dimensions of measures. On this basis an evaluation method was developed within the IRMA/SPONGE project INTERMEUSE and illustrated for (fictive) situations in the Meuse basin. The integration of flood protection and floodplain rehabilitation can be performed on two scale levels that are interrelated: global for (large parts of) a stream basin or local for a specific site. Both scale levels are elaborated within INTERMEUSE: a link with flood protection measures and/or strategies is made via changed abiotic conditions, resulting in indications on chances to link flood protection goals to ecosystem rehabilitation goals. Ecological aspects under study were spatial cohesion and habitat configuration (global level) and habitat quality (local level). Based on the results of the analyses performed an integration approach was constructed that can be used in different parts of the planning cycle: different toolboxes for the planning phase and the actual evaluation and guidelines of how to use these toolboxes in practise. The results of this first study show clearly that there is a good chance to combine floodplain rehabilitation aims with flood protection activities, both on a local and international scale. In practise, for both cases close co operation of parties involved is an important prerequisite.Irma-Spong