Het beleid met betrekking tot ecologie en natuur in het IJzerbekken, in het bijzonder de IJzervallei

Water is an essential aspect of nature. The valleys of the Yser and the Handzame in Flanders are floodable area’s. The open space is an ideal habitat for the numerous waders, stilt-birds along with other species of birds that nest, brood, winter or stop over there. The swamps shelter very rare plants which are dependent on the specific watery habitat. These ecosystems are rare and need to be protected. In the nineties the Flemish governement has done a lot of efforts to improve the system. A lot of pilot projects and initiatives have been started e.g. an ‘E.I.G’ (an ecological incentive area), The EIG started with a dredging program in certain zones in order to reduce the silting up and to restore waterlife. Also silt catchers were built. In order to give aquatic vegetation opportunity to re-establish, biomanipulation measures were also taken (on a small scale). The River Yser is a linked system in hydrological, morphological, ecological and functional sense. Intervention in a stretch of river could have consequences on another stretch of river, in short or long term. This connection applies to the entire river basin, be-tween the branches, between summer bed and flood plains. Therefore nature conservation alone will not be enough to save the system because the links are/were changing Nature development for the restauration of natural habitats of waterways and swamps must be further stimulated and also an integral approach in water management will be essential. It is still a long way towards realising the ecological repair of the whole riverine area and the nearby polder ditches, but first steps are made