International Conference
Nature-oriented flood damage prevention - planning, evaluation and communication
The final International Conference of the EU-funded INTERREG IIIB project nofdp was held in Darmstadt from 16 - 18 April 2008. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pilot Investment Retentionsraum Zell (River Mümling in the Odenwald) marked the official opening of this conference.
Mathias Löw, from Hessen’s Ministry for the Environment, Rural Development and Consumer Protection (HMULV) and at the same time head of the nofpd project, underlined in his opening speech the many benefits to the people in the area of the improved flood control, which EU funding has made possible in an environment friendly way. This spatial restructuring measure served, alongside three further investment projects in The Netherlands, as a pilot case study for the development of an information and decision support system, in short nofdp IDSS, which was presented to a wide range of listeners as well as experts and at the two-day conference in the newly constructed “darmstadtium”. Responsibility for the project was shared by a partnership of the Technical University Darmstadt, the German Federal Institute for Hydrology, the Province Noord Brabant, the Water Board Mümling and the Regional Water Authorities Aa en Maas, Brabantse Delta and de Dommel. The design of the nofdp IDSS has been deliberat ely planned so that, as soon as an experienced planner has tailored the necessary specialist information (digital maps, hydrological and ecological data of a project area, a simple-to-use communication instrument is ready and waiting. This interactive planning software is of considerable assistance to a great variety of users in the optimisation of variants in the pre-planning phase. The results and their expert fundamentals are automatically recorded in reports. The tool of the nofdp IDSS, a 3-D-visualisation of variants, aroused great interest. Thanks to EU funding, the nofdp IDSS is available for downloading free-of-charge from this USB stick or from SourceForge.net.
The conference, however, not only devoted itself to the nofdp IDSS and the 4 pilot investments. A large number of presentations in word and on posters contributed provided a good overall picture of the completely differing examples and solutions on this subject. They showed clearly that the key to successful implementation of measures lies in an even stronger cooperation between the water management and spatial planning sector. A further requirement for successful implementation is a better understanding of the different types of administration structures and cultures in North West Europe. All the speakers in this final plenum were unanimous on the importance of communication in planning processes and on the participation of all those concerned right from the start of every planning process.
List of talks and presentations
1. Living with Water
Bert Satijn, Director of the "Leven met water" programme in The Netherlands
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 7.9mb
2. New paradigms for river management –
improved integrated planning strategies and techniques
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Ostrowski, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 1.4mb
3. How to use floodplains for flood risk reduction:
the Ecoflood guidelines
Evalyne de Swart, Grontmij
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 2.1mb
4. Hydro-ecological modeling: Its contribution to nature-oriented flood damage prevention
Dr. Peter Horchler, German Federal Institut of Hydrology
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 3.2mb
5. How the issue of flood risk and ecology is linked to spatial planning - a review of the Northwest European spatial planning systems
Leonie Andriesse, Bestuur & Management Consultants
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 112kb
6. Where’s the space for water? How floodplain restoration projects succeed
Karen Potter, University Liverpool
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 4.7mb
7. Preventative Flood Prevention within the Scope of Regional Planning in North Rhine-Westphalia
Michael Bongartz, Bezirksregierung Münster
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 4.9mb
8. Presentation of the nofdp IDSS
Christoph Hübner & Dr. Kaj Lippert, TU Darmstadt & Björnsen Consulting Engineers
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 2mb
9. Flood protection concept 'Donau Straubing-Vilshofen' -
River Danube
Rudolf Sonnleitner, Projektplanung Donauausbau Straubing-Vilshofen,
RMD Wasserstraßen GmbH
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 4.1mb
10. "Blue-Green Services" in the Aa valley:
how to agree on flood damage with farmers
Rene de Louw, Regional Water Authority Aa en Maas
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 508kb
11. New functions to old values; redesigning the Tongelreepvalley
Joost van der Cruijsen, Waterschap de Dommel
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 756kb
12. Water as friend and enemy; use of a fortress in flood prevention
Ron Lambregts, Waterschap Brabantse Delta
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 3.5mb
13. Nature-oriented flood damage prevention in the Mümling catchment
Matthias Sottong, Wasserverband Mümling
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 1.8mb
14. Flemish / Dutch cooperation in water management:
web based tools in perspective
Piet van Iersel, Waterschap Brabantse Delta
Abstract
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 320kb
15. The Rivers Trust movement in England & Wales;
community participation in river management
Alistair Maltby, Association of Rivers Trusts
Presentation
Presentation, English PDF, 6.8mb
16. The INTERREG IVB Project idea – Riverscape
Frank van Lamoen, Provincie Noord Brabant
