Bio-Engineering Sediment Management And Removal of Turbidity Technologies: BESMART Technologies

At Deltares in the Netherlands, a research team is developing a portfolio of technologies dedicated to the management of the finest and most challenging fraction of soft sediments. These technologies may unambiguously be called nature based because they make use of natural processes to enhance dewatering and strengthening, induce flocculation and the settling of fines, and protect the muddy bed from erosion.

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.

Sediment Transport and Sediment Management in the Elbe Estuary, Germany

To manage costs and the long-term effects of dredging in highly dynamic estuarine areas, continued scientific research, modelling and analysis are indispensable.