Sofie De Swerdt

Sofie studied Environment, Health and Safety Management at the KU Leuven, Belgium. In 2019, she graduated from the Advanced Master of Science for Integrated Water Management at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, with a thesis on nourishment projects in the Eastern Scheldt in cooperation with the Royal NIOZ, in Yerseke, the Netherlands. Following her studies, she worked as a research assistant on the Interreg project Smartsediment for the Royal NIOZ, where she participated in the evaluation and application of the Smartsediment tool.
Articles By Sofie De Swerdt

The Smartsediment tool: a QGIS plug-in for evaluating ecosystems services
Managing sediments, especially from dredging, is important for the management of estuaries and coastal areas. When implemented in the right way, a sediment management strategy can be qualified as a nature-based solution as it uses the physical processes of erosion and sedimentation to create added value. There is a need for an evaluation of sediment strategies and the habitats that are created for a wider range of objectives than only biodiversity and nature conservation. The concept of ecosystem services provides this broader framework.