Dutch North Sea
Advisor Soil and Water for the North Sea and (partly) Western Scheldt
I work as advisor at Rijkswaterstaat on Soil and Water issues for the waterbody the North Sea and a small part of my works focusses on the Western Scheldt.
My role at the moment focusses on:
Marine Strategy Framework Directive for descriptor D7 Hydrographical changes.
Sand extraction on the North Sea, specifically on long-term sand strategy
Natura 2000 area: Doggersbank, Klaverbank and Friese Front on the NCP.
Morphological issues in the Western Scheldt in relation to navigation.
Advising on paleo landscapes for the North Sea.
Advisor within Wind Farms at Sea and associated cable to land.
Descriptor 7 focuses on permanently altered hydrographical conditions, which predominantly arise from coastal activities causing topographical changes (e.g. land claim, barrages, sea defences) and coastal and offshore infrastructures (e.g. ports, wind farms, oil rigs, pipelines, heat and brine outfalls).
Permanent hydrographical changes can occur due to changes in the thermal or salinity regimes, changes in the tidal regime, sediment and freshwater transport, current or wave action and changes in turbidity. The degree of change and the period over which such change occurs varies considerably, depending on the type of modification. Assessment of the degree of change can be related to both the water column and the sea-floor, and consequently to their biological communities. These types of change are normally triggered by building activities, such as extensions or alterations to the coast, or the building of artificial islands and other infrastructural works in the marine environment (such as outfalls from power stations, bridges and causeways to islands, and offshore installations). This Descriptor addresses all such developments (existing and new infrastructures) including both large- and small-scale structures. The cumulative pressure of 'localized activities' will have to be considered to assess the significance of the aggregated effect of many small-scale changes. Specific importance is given to new planning activities that will have to fulfill Environmental Impacts Assessments (EIA).
RWS asked Deltares/TNO to work on a model that predicts the sand availibility on the Dutch North Sea based on existing boreholes. The so called DIS is availible through TNO and Deltares
Sand extraction has the preference between the continuous NAP -20 line and the 12 mile zone. Seawards of the 12 mile zone, other activities of national interest have a preference.
The North Sea Natura 2000 project is managed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the North Sea Foundation (Stichting de Noordzee) and Imares.
The Voordelta, the North Sea Coastal Zone, the Dogger Bank, the Cleaver Bank, the Frisian Front and the Vlakte van de Raan have already been designated as Natura 2000 sites. All Natura 2000 sites to be created in the North Sea occupy 19% of the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone. This is a marine site of 10,260 km² or, to put it another way, over one million hectares.
The North Sea Programme is about the spatial layout of the North Sea and achieving good environmental status – in one of the most intensively used seas in the world. The central task for the North Sea Programme 2022-2027 is to find the right social balance in the spatial development of the North Sea. This development must be efficient and safe and fit within the preconditions of a healthy ecosystem.
Archeology of the Dutch North Sea
