Rivers and valleys: lifelines for a climate-robust society

Many watercourses have been straightened, paved, deepened, widened, and covered in recent decades. This accelerated drainage and created more land for housing, agriculture, and forestation. On the flip side, flood vulnerability increased, drained more groundwater [link to “Groundwater Solutions” service], and degraded the natural buffering and purification capacity of rivers. Weirs and watermills prevent fish migration, which is essential for spawning. The authorities in Belgium want to restore the important ecological role of water elements with, among others, the Blue Deal, Water Landscape 2.0, Living Water, and the River basin management plans.

Nature-based solutions from an integral vision

Our experts support the Flemish Environment Agency, provinces, the Agency for Nature and Forests, the Flemish Land Agency, municipalities, polder authorities, the Flemish Waterways plc, and other bodies with innovative and nature-based solutions aimed at circularity and sustainability.

• Opening up and re-meandering watercourses
• Restoring natural banks and wetland types
• Increasing ecosystem resilience
• Resizing watercourses, possibly with a summer and winter bed profile
• Diverting watercourses
• Restoring natural purifying capacity
• Removing weirs, providing a bypass, or resizing the downstream watercourse based on fish migration

Our hydrologists, hydraulic engineers, ecologists, landscape designers, and soil experts take an integrated approach that enables Sweco to guide you through the entire process.

• Systems analysis: on-site and desktop
• Area vision of the entire catchment area
• Underpinned by modelling and visualisations
• Stakeholder management
• Permits
• Technical explanation
• Site follow-up

A pragmatic view with an eye for practicability

Our multidisciplinary teams consider various local factors and constraints such as land use, water quality, flood risk, natural value, heritage, property rights, and recreation. We have a strong feel for the field and policy thanks to hundreds of references in Belgium.

Contact us for permitted and feasible tailor-made solutions, with an eye for pragmatism and delivery deadlines, and maximum positive impact on the environment.

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