A coastal Zone Perspective

A Coastal Zone

Perspective

3 Foreword

5 A Natural Balance 6 A Coherent Course

7 The Character of theDutch Coast Resilience . 8

Coherenceand Interdependence .9

Landscapeand Skyline . 10 11 Issues for Sea and Coast

Robustdunes . 12

Watermanagement ina sinkingdelta . 14 Restoringsalinity gradients . 16

Sand for theWadden Sea and WesternScheldt . 18 Quality initiative fot coastal resorts ·20

Lookingafterthesea . 22 24 FirstSteps towards aDialogue

Listof abbreviations PKB Key National Planningtiecision

VROM Ministry of Publiciiousing, Spatial Planning and ttie Environment

V&W Ministry of Transport, Publit:Worksand WaterManagement LNV Ministry ofsgriculture,Nature Management and Fisheries EZ Ministry of BconomicAffairs

WNF WorldWildlife Fund

AVN Foundation in whicn vatious recreationalorganizationscooperate NBT Netherlands Tourist Board

Foreword

ACoastal Zone Perspectiveis a preparatory study jointly prepared by the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water management, the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economie Affairs.

Rather than being some sort of manifesto or blueprint for the future, it represents the first steps towards a dialogue between everyone with an interest in theway theseaand coastare managed. The results of th is dialogue will contribute to a number of policy documents to be published during 1999 and2000.These include the Fifth Policy Statement on Spatial Planning, the Third PolicyStatement on the Coastal Region, the PKB-Waddenzee, the PolicyStatement on Nature, Woodlands and Landscape in the zrst Century, the Policy Statement on the Countryside and the Policy Statement on Regional Economy. The purpose of this is to put coastal issues high on the policyagenda.

ACoastal ZonePerspectivedeals with the coastal zone and the sea. Decisions made about the land often have repercussions for the seaand vice-versa. In this preparatory study,we will put forward a number of proposals for inclusion in the dialogue.

ACoastal ZonePerspectivelooks primarily at quality, opportunities and various directions for development and is therefore less directly concerned with regulations, money or research.Itbegins with an explanation as to why the four departments felt the need for a common vision on coastal issues. This is followed by a discussion of the character and identity of the Dutch coast. We show how this is determined to a large extent by the three basic qualities of'Resilience', 'Coherence and Interdependence', 'Land-scape and Skyline'. Finally, six sea and coastline issues intended to maintain and strengthen these qualities are presented.

ACoastalZonePerspectiveis borne along by images:the storyis told by graphs, maps,diagrams and photographs. The graphs that appear in some pictures are not based on statistical analysis but do help toput overwhat the choices before us are reallyall about.

A N

atural

Balance

An enduring bond with the water runs as a connecting thread through the history of the Netherlands. The country's position on the coast and its conneetion to the European hinterland by the major rivers - Rijn(Rhine), Maas (Meuse)and Schelde (Scheldt) - have been decisive for its prosperity. At the same time, there has been a heavy price to pay for this in the form of the perpetual threat of flooding. Signs of this can be found along the whole coastline: old river mouths, flood refuges, land reclamation, systems of 'guard dykes', archaeological finds on the beach ridges, shipwrecks and old fishing towns. These are all things that make their mark on the experiential value of our coast. New elements such the Deltaworks, power-generating windmills and new harbours are still being added while the natural and man-made heritage of the coast is protected by nature reserves and national parks.

Until about 30years ago, we tried as far as possible to put the sea under our con trol by building high dykes, reclaiming land and damming off coastal inlets, Since then, however, there has been a growing realization that th is approach is subject to a law of diminishing returns and, in any case, exacts a heavy price on the ecology and natural dynamics of the coast. For this reason, we now tend to use dredged sand for coastal proteetion instead of dykes and breakwaters. This new flexible approach goes under the motto of: 'Soft where possible, hard where necessary'. Coastal management is now moreover directed at working with the natural dynamics of the coast, with the 'kerf' (noteh) ne ar Bergen aan Zee as a notable example of this. Proteerion against flooding is, of course, maintained. Taking safety as sine qua non, we can seek a more natural balance between land and sea and between economics and ecology.

A Coherent Course

Concern for our coast and seas is on the increase. This should not be surprising when we realize that the sea level is rising, while the land near the coast is not only subject to increasing human pressure but also sinking. Obviously something will have to be done and procrastination is no longer an option, More specifie reasonstolook seriously at the long term development of the coast include the drying out of the dunes, the salinization of agrieultural land, the large harbours bursting at the seams and the threat to the ecologieal balance of the Wadden Sea and the remaining sea inlets. Itshould moreover be realized that some of the decisions we are now taking or are about to take are for all practical purposes irreversible. These decisions include moving normally land-based

A number of these necessary decisions have already been made and set out in policy documents. These decisions include turning the dunes into a nature reserve, the development of the tourist potentialof the coast and the already mentioned decision to go for dynamic coastal management. This on its own, however, is not enough. There is a need for different areas of policytobe better integrated where they affect the coast so that a synergy can be found between spatial planning, economie,

environmental and safety interests. And this is why the four government

departments most involved with the sea and coast have sought a common vision for the coast and its development. This will comprise, firstly, setting out a coherent course in the farm of perspectives on the future and lines of activities to the open sea, building large development and, secondly, putting new estates in 'deep' polders and

allowing permanent building in the coastal zone. The consequences of these activities will last for decades or even centuries. To give just one example, the western part of the Wadden Sea intertidal zone has still not found a new morphological balance since the closing-off of the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) in 1932.

into focus the possible directions in whieh solutions might be found. This is why the various choiees have been exaggerated somewhat in the interests of clarity,

A Coastal Zone Perspective is not a policy statement - the solution directions it describes are not intended to farm the basis of new development

A Coastal Zone Perspective .6

plans and are certainly not the only options available. The four departments hope to use this initiative primarily to put the coast higher on the poliey agenda and to start a broad dialogue about the sea and coast. All parties involved in coastal policy and coastal management will be invited to contribute to this dialogue. Itwill be primarily directed at qualities,

opportunities and the varia us directions that development can take and not so much towards money, research or regulations. In addition, it is important to realize that decisions about what happens on land aften have immediate repercussions for the sea and vice versa. Certain activities are not exclusively confined to the land or the sea. The Netherlands does not, after all, stop at the high tide mark.

The years 1999 and 2000 will see the publication of various policy documents wholly or partly concerned with the coastal zone and the North Sea. They Include the Fifth Policy Statement on Spatial Planning (sponsor:VROM), the

Third Coastal Policy Statement (V&W),

the PKB-Waddenzee(VROM), the Policy

Statement on Nature, Woodlands and Landscape in the 21StCentury (LNV),the Policy Statement on the Countryside

(LNV)and the Policy Statement on Regional Economy(EZ).The results of the sea and coast dialogue form building blocks of these documents and, in th is way, exert their influence on decision making at nationallevel. This is not the end of the story, however. There is still room for tailoring the results to the specifie qualities and opportunities present at a regionallevel, and it is precisely at th is level that the advantages of an integrated policy are most apparent.

The

Character

of the Dutch Coast

Whole books have been written about 'the coast' and the'coastal zone'. For our purposes, however, we use 'coastal zone'

to refer to the area where the influences of the land and sea overlap. That would include, for instance, parts of the land affected by sea water seepage and parts of the sea affected by the flow of sand and mud from the major rivers.

Resilience Coherence/interdependence Landscape/Skyline

Basic qualities • Resilience • Coherence/ Interdependence • Landscape/Skyline

I

7 . ACoastalZone Perspective

The Dutch coast as such does not really exist. Itdiffers enormously from one region to another and it is this diversity that makes it so attractive. Itwould be hard to compare one of the Frisian Islands with, for instance, a beach resort in the densely populated province of South Holland. The Wadden mudflats, the Holland coast and the Zeeland delta all have a unique character.To help emphasize this, we distinguish three basic qualities: Resilience, Coherence/

Interdependence and Landscape/

Skyline.These basic qualities are to be found everywhere, albeit not tothe same extent, and are inseparable from regions and hu man activities. The emphasis lies in different places from one region to the next. Precisely how these basic qualities and the local use of the coastal zone affect each other will be examined.

The concepts Resilience, Coherence/

Interdependence and Landscape/

Skyline make possible a common language for characterizing the coastal zones. Precisely how this is done will be shown in the following section.

Resilienee

erosion and deposition flexibility

(Map:Changesin the Dutch coast overthe past two millennia)

long-term natural processes protection sustainable use robustness protection

The Netherlands is a land of dunes. Old maps show our wast looking very different from century to century.

Changes in sea level, sea currents and river courseshave kept the wast in a state of constant change.Prom time to time, the seashows its teeth and fioods part of the land.

Over tiie last few centuries the coast has been stabilized by dams, dykes and land reclamation and,as a result, the natural dynamics of the wast have become increasingly restricted.The sea seems to have been reined in at last but this stability isdeceptive because Nature does not let itselfbe so easily stuukled.

ability to recover

Conerenee

and

interäepenäence

...

...

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.

.

.

....

..

.

.

.

..

inland transport routes

quiet - busy

The Netherlands is an ancient river delta and a land of contrasts.Land and water meet eachother in many ways - riversflow out into the sea, tidalflats partly dry out at low tide and deeppolders alternate with moorland pasture.

salt water - fresh water nature - culture

The coast is where the land conneetswith the sea.Flows ofpeople and goods and of people and animals. Rivers, roads and railways conneet the coast to the hinterland.

Trade and transport, living and working,tourism and recreation.ltall happens at theDutch coast.

(Map:Perculating groundwater in low-Iying parts ol the Netherlands contains salt: light blue areas have 100-300mg chloride ion per litre, dark blue areas have more than 2000mg per litre. This sea water seepage is Ilushed out by the Iresh water Ilows shown by the light blue arrows.)

space inspiration freedom quietude unspoilt nature

The Netherlands is a land of crowds.Even at night it never seems to beempty orquieto Only on the coast can you find peace,spaceand unspoilt views. Standing on

the top of a dune on theHolland coast,you can see bath the grandeur of the open sea anä the press ofhumanity behind in the polderlands. Because this part of the coast curves inwards, you can also see harbeurs and coastal towns contrasting with the surrounding dunes.

distance darkness

In the Wadden region.however, the skyline looks vel)' different. Channels anä sandbanks, birds, seals and beacons.In the distance, an island can iust about be made out.

In the Zeeland delta, the hand of man is more visible: dams and dykes, ships closeto the share. But even here it ispossible to experiencethe jteedom anä space of the coast.

Issuesjor Sea

anä

Coast

Thee basic qualities of the coast need strengthening. We want to retain and, wh ere possible, to increase the resilience, increase the cohesion and not permit the skyline and landscape to deteriorate. The coast is ready for an initiative based on a sustainable vision. In this chapter we will cover six issues (tasks) for sea and coast. These are not the only issues, but they are the ones we expect to make the most significant contribution to strengthening the three basic qualities.

The issues are:

Robust dunes

Water management in a sinking delta Restoration of salinity gradients Sandfot the Wadden Sea and Western Scheldt

Quality initiatives for coastal resorts Looking after the sea

Each issue will be examined to see how it is likely to affect the basic qualities. In doing50,a distinction will be made between trend(the past direction of change),tendency(the direction things are taking at the moment) and

perspective,which refers to possible shifts in the future direction of the trend. Next to this, we will mention projects where a start can already be made on realizing these perspectives (the so-called 'handholds').

11•A CoastalZonePerspective

All these issues will require patient hard work. Choosing to move things in a new direction will require step-by-step changes towards the desired perspective. Going for a sustainable solution often leads to conflict in the short term, but also leaves room for manoeuvre and is often more efficient in the long run.

Robust dunes

Trend

Coastal defence becomes increasinqly expensive

• Maintenance of the coastline

• Conflict between the needs of coastal defence, economie development and the environment

Tendency

Sand dykes instead of natural dunes

• Other interests subsumed to coastal defence • Sharp boundary between land and sea

Perspective

Resilient coast

• Space for natural processes • Broad dunes with multiple uses

• Consequencesof sea level rise become more manageable

Our coastal dunes are enormously varied: high and low,broad and narrow,wet and dry. Where dunes are lacking,we have built high dykes. An example of this is the Hondsbossche Zeewering sea barrier between Schoorl and CaIlantsoog. Dunes are of vital importance to our coastal defence, but theyare also superb nature reserves as weIl as being used for recreation and for the extraction and purification of drinking water. Where the dunes are narrow or absent, priority is given to the needs of coastal defence even if this is at the expense of other functions.

With the prospect of rising sea levels and sinking land, the defence of our Iow-lying country will continue to absorb ever increasing amounts of money and effort.

Past Present Future

Low ornarrow dunes form the weakestlinks in our coastal defence. Dunes can be reinforeed byraising or widening them orbyincreasing the size of the sand buffer onthe seawardside.Broader dunes offerthe prospect of a more flexible approach to coastaldefence and provide space for natural processes such asdune movement. This, inturn, creates niches for the characteristic plants and animals ofthedune regions. This alsocreates opportunities for other functions such as recreation or the purification of drinking water. As aresult, our coastbecomes more robust, more resilient and better abletocope with a risein sealevel.

Areas of narrow dunes can be found all along theDutch coast,particularly in the'Head' of North Holland, the coast between Kijkduin and Hook of Holland, in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and in mid-Ameland. For reinforcement,

the dunes can be extended inland, extended seawards or raised. Artificiallyraising dunes does little to benefit their other functions. Extending the dunes seawards is an attractive option where the sea bottom shelves gently, as it does between Kijkduin and Hook of Holland. In other places, such as the region between Den Helder and Callantsoog,

where there is a deep tidal channel just off the coast, a landward extension

of the dunes is more practical. The decision for landward or seaward broadening of the dunes is also affected by other factors, such as harbour access.

In most cases, the broadening of the dunes will take up more land, of ten

at the expense of other forms of land use such as agriculture, bulb

cultivation and greenhouse horticulture, 50itwould be wiseto make

space forthis well in advance.And it willnot be cheap.We already spend

tens of millions of guilders to dredge sand from the sea floor and bring it to the beaches,but that could be done on a much larger scale.

Taking this a step further would involve a very different approach to sea

dykes such as the Hondsbossche Zeewering. We could continue adapting

them toa rising sea level, but we could also simply accept that in very

heavy storms the sea will inevitably comeover the dykes.When that happens, a small area behind the dyke is flooded while the rest of the land isprotected by a so-called 'guard dyke'.The area between the dykes would

then have to be managed accordingly, with nature reserves and the local

extensification of agriculture. Houses would be built inthe traditional

way on raised 'terps'. This is not going to happen tomorrow, but it is

something to be considered forthe long term.

(Sand)dykes

Den Helder - Callantsoog

...--"

,...

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/

,....

»-:

:....---Kijkduin - Hook of Holland

Callantsoog - Schoorl

Handholds

• Shoreface nourishment instead of beach nourishment

• Limit new coastal building to existing built up areas • Respect the heritage aspects

of dune areas

• Direct dune management towards creation of large entities

Resilient coast """

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...

V

f,.---~tM

_

Lil

Water management in a sinking delta

Trend

The cost of water management in the low Netherlands keeps on rising

• Land use has become more intensive

• Water management serves the demands

of land use

Tendency

The cost of water management grows out of proportion to its benefits to land use • Climatic change and land sinkage increase risk

of flooding

• Increased salt-water seepage requires more flushing with fresh water

• Productivity of polders and moorlands falls behind.

Perspective Space for water

• Land use adapted to the needs of water management

• Extensive water management where possible, intensive management where necessary • Resilient water systems

The21"century will need anewform ofwater management in which land use will beadapted to the hydrology and not the other wayround. Water will begiven more space, asa result ofwhich sustained heavy rain will not lead toimmediate flooding. We will try to limit further sinking of the land and create a water buffer against the eneroaehing salt-water seepage, Thewater systems of the lowNetherlands will become more resilient and better able to absorb the effects of freak conditions.

Past Present Future

Two millennia ago virtually all of what is now the Netherlands lay above sea level. The westof the country was a patchwork of intertidal zones

(such as the present Wadden Sea) and peat moorlands that growed along

with the rising sea level. Human intervention changed this situation radically.First of all, the water table was lowered for the benefit of more intensive land use, causing the levelof the land to fall, in some pi aces by several meters.Second, peat was dug out and marshes and lakes

reclaimed.As a result of these changes, we have to keep pumping just to keep our heads above water.In fact we seem to have painted ourselves into a corner: the cost of water management just keeps rising and flooding is expected to become more common, the land is continuing to fall and the sea level is now rising faster than before.

Naturally we won't be able to change our approach to water management everywhere: in places where the ground is very intensively used, such as in towns and industrial estates, the cost of intensive water management can be justified. But for pasture and arabie land this might not always be the case.We will have to decide where the high cost of intensive water management can be justified and where not. One thing is for sure, though - the langer we delay, the harder the choices will become.

Nevertheless, if you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is to stop digging, and for this reason our immediate task is to make sure that we

don't actually make things any worse. This will mean a ban on new

housing in the deep polders and calling a halt to taking any more space from the polder reservoirs. In doing this, we are making water an important guiding principle in planning policy. The reform of water

management is a difficult task that requires an integrated approach. It takes in town and country planning, proteetion against flooding and the

creation of sufficient reserves of fresh waterto stop the land drying out.

Well-conducted water management is concerned with what might be

called spatial qualities: functionality (sensitivity to existing land use),

flexibility (resilience), diversity (appropriate in one place but not another)

and sustainability (adapted to the carrying capacityof natural systerns).

Handholds

• Spaceforthewater

• Water to carry more weight in planning decisions(land allocation plans)

• Water storage areas to serve as nature reserves

• 'Water-positive' building (towns, infrastructure)

11\\ Land sinkage

)\11 Salt water seepage

Restoring salinity gradients

• Inlets closed off, loss of brackish zones • Safety at the expense of biodiversity

Tendency

Ecoloqical deterioration

• Loss of spawning grounds and nursery areas for marine life

• Non-sustainability (tall in oxygen levels, spread of fish diseases)

Perspective

Interdependence of salt and fresh water systems • Safety ánd biodiversity

• Preserve and develop valuable ecosystems • Promote fish migrat ion into rivers

In the past we have tried to keep salt water and fresh water strietly

separated. The sea always threatened to flood the land and salt

water threatened the supply of fresh water. We closed off the Zuiderzee and then, one byone, nearly all the Zeeland seainlets.

But this one-sided emphasis on safety and economie development

went at the expense of other considerations, partieularly ecological ones. Since then, we have gained more insight into how the

deleterious effects of trying to keep the sea at bay can be prevented and, in some cases, reversed. And this can now be do ne without compromising safety or fresh water supplies.

Ecoloqical value

Past Present Future

Our country now has only two true estuaries - the Western Scheldt and the Eems-Dollard. This is a tragedy as estuaries are amongst the most productive ecosystems there are.Once an estuary is cut off from the sea,

the water quality goes into decline, dissolved oxygen levels fall and food shortages occur. Diseases start to spread amongst the fish and the estuaries lose their function as nurseries and spawning grounds.

Nevertheless, the first steps in the right direction have been taken, on a small scale and only after thorough consulration. In the north-east of the province of Groningen, for instance, the creation of a brackish zone between the dykes has been considered along with a new approach to managing the Westerwoldse A. And there is more to come. An alternative management of the Haringvliet sluices has been proposed and offers the possibility of water exchange between sea and river. Thiswould partly restore the tidal character of the Biesbosch nature reserveand help prevent the further salinization of the Haringvliet and Hollands Diep. In the Veersemeer and Grevelingenmeer lakes,the water quality could be radically improved by using newer orwider sluices. Restoring the two-way

flow between the Ijsselmeer lake and the Wadden Sea bymaking small openings in the Afsluitdijk barrier dam might even beconsidered. This could greatlyimprove fish migration and would create a very special

brackish water ecosystem. In short, it would considerably soften the

transition between the Wadden Sea and Ijsselmeer.

Of course we are not going tobreak open all the damsand open all the

sluices tomorrow. Itmakes more sense to useastep-by-step approach and learn from small projects before considering larger ones.Itwill be

particularly important ro get a good picture of the effects in all the

relevant areas by means of environmental impact assessments. Negative effects,such as that on the freshwater supply,can be compensated for but

the costof this will also have tobe taken into account. In the meantime,

we will just have to be careful with the remaining estuaries, where the free exchange and mixing of sea water and fresh water is still possible.

Sea water salinity

Seurce:Noordze. Atlas,ICONA(1992)

Handholds

• Start small and proceed

step-by-step

• Tailor projects to regional needs

through consultation

• Take present use into account

• Thorough monitoring of effects

Salt concentrations

in the North Sea (g/I)

c=J

c=J

Sand

for

the Wadden Sea and Western Scheldt

Trend

Sand shortage in the WaddenSea and Western Scheldt

• WaddenSea: a wetland of international importance

• Western Scheldt: a natural estuary providinq

access to the harbours of Antwerp

• Increased need for sand due to risinq sea levels

• Shortaqe of available sand and mud

Tendency

Sand flats disappear

• Loss of unique ecosystems

• A new cycle of dyke strenqtheninq

Perspective

Restore sand balance

• Return former salt marshes to the influence of the tides

• Sand flats rise to keep up with risinq sea levels

The Wadden Sea is aworld-renowned wetland area. Without a rise

in sea levelitwould gradually turn into dryland but if sea levels rise

veryquickly, will instead drown due to a shortage of sediment. The important thing is to maintain a balance between sand and water. To achieve this,a great deal of extra sand will be needed - about

15-20million cubic metres of sand peryear in the coming century. This

can, of course,be dredged from the bed of the North Sea but there are alternatives. Prominent amongst them is the idea of gradually returning some of the reclaimed salt marshes to the influence of the tides.

Past Present Future

For centuries, the sand flatsofthe Wadden Sea were abletogrowtokeep

pace with the risein sealevel. The Frisian Islands, the Wadden Sea itself

andits marshes movedslowlylandwards. Withanacceleratedrise insea

level,however, it has becomeharder for it tokeepup,the more so because

land reclamation and the building of seadykes have cut off the Wadden

Sea from one ofits soureesof sand - the salt marshes. The sandbalance

hasbecome increasingly disturbed and the Wadden region is now

threatened with theloss ofits sand flats,which form a resting-place

forbirds andseals.

Much the sameistrue forthe Western Scheldt. Landreclamation has

deprived the estuary ofmore andmore of its salt marshes('schorren')

while the navigation channel has been made ever wider and deeper by

dredging. The natural balanceof the Western Scheldt has been disrupted.

One of the consequences of this is that heavystonns have been sending

high wavesever deeper into the estuary. In time, this will make it

necessaryto raise the dykes so theycan cope with the rising seas. The task

before us is to save the estuarywhile allowing room for economie

development and preserving irs role as a waterway.

Returning land to the sea is a sensitive subject in the Netherlands. And

this should be no surprise in a country that has fought against the sea for

centuries. But the prospect of constantly having to raise sea dykes while

looking on helplessly as our wetland habitats disappear is not an attractive

one either.As we have seen, ho wever, there are alternatives. Instead of

continually trying tobring Nature under our control we can try to coax it

into working for us by providing more space for the natural processes of

the intertidal zones:erosion and deposition, tides and currents.

Ifwe return rec1aimed land to the influence ofthe tides, this should never

be at the expense of our own safety. Nor does that have to be the case. Along the Western Scheldt and Wadden Sea lie numerous old dykes behind the present sea dyke. A step-by-step approach seems to have the

best chance.Bygiving more spacetothe sea where and when possible, the

Wadden Sea and Western Scheldtcan be saved from drowning and retain

their function as nature reserves and fish nurseries.

Handholds

• Utilize opportunities for land

acquisition

• Try to get locked-up sand

resources moving again

• Exploit combi nat ion of safety

and environment

Quality

initiative for coastal resorts

Trend

The growth of coastal resorts stagnates

• Increased international competition • Lack of product renewal

Tendency Going for quantity

• Short-term success but deterioration in the long term

• Expansion of resorts leads to planning conflicts

• Visitors choose the quality available on the Belgian and Baltic coasts

Perspective Going for quality

• Every resort has a distinct profile

• Quality initiative within the existing building limits • Optimize existing access structure

• Strengt hen collaboration with other sectors

The growth of coastal tourism is under pressure from international

competition, failure to renew the'product' and the lack of coastal

resorts withadistinct local identity.The particular attraction of the

Dutch coast- evenwhen compared with that of our neighbours

-lies mainly in its diversity,its relatively unspoilt character and its cultural and historical heritage value. These qualities - all of them

closelylinked to the three basic qualities -are things wewould like

to strengthen while emphasizing the particular identity of each

resort.

Contribution to gross national product

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Past Present Future

Thecoastis oneofthe mostimportant tourist destinations inthecountry.

About30%ofthe short holidays inthe Netherlands arespent onthe coastand total tourist expenditure in thecoastalareatotals about two

billion guilders annually.The tourist profile of a coastalresort is partly

determined bythe range anddiversity itcanoffer. These include landscape, nature, places of cultural and historical interest and the

opportunity to visit large eities. For this, good communications with

thehinterland are of vitalimportance. These days, tourists are mainly interested inthe total package.

Thecoast can offer variety throughout the year. Depending onthe season and each person's individual needs,just about everyone can find what

they are looking for. There are familybeach resorts with guesthouse accommodation and, in the summer, a single beach pavilion. There are seaside resorts with large hotels, shopping promenades and facilities for all seasons. Then again there are conference resorts with an international ambience. The challenge faeing a coastal resort these days lies in

strengthening those qualities that contribute to its identity and to do this with a particular target group in mind. The required quality initiative is therefore basically a matter of product renewal, although this will need to be realized within the existing building limits. The combination of coastal resort and dunejnature reserve is one of the unique characteristics

of the Dutch coast,and it is a combination we would liketokeep. Should

there not be enough land within the building limits for the necessary expansion, there remains the option ofbuilding inland, perhaps along

the inner edges of the dunes.

Handholds

• Strengthen the individual character of resorts

• Exploit the contrast between open

Next tothis combination of coastal resort and nature reserve, there are spaces and busy towns

also resorts with strong connections to the hinterland. The problem here • Seek synergies with cultural and is to find a synergy between the two. The present coastal resorts are mostly historical destinations inland

isolated along the coast and, apart from a few places in Zeeland, are not • Promote innovation rather connected to each other by coast roads. This layout of infrastructure lies than the copying ofsuccessful

behind the way the Dutch coast alternates between relatively unspoilt neighbours areas of open space and concentrations of recreation and tourism. The

beachesbetween the resorts are often only accessible by foot or by bicycle, a fact that tends to promote nature-orientated recreation. The existing communication structure between the resorts- or rather the lack of it - is therefore beneficial to the basic qualities. In view of this, and if demand does arise for better access between coastal resorts,it would be prudent to examine alternatives before building coast roads, which might remove the reason people come to the coast in the first place. These alternatives might include innovative forms of water transport but, in any case, the access question needs to be given more attention, particularly in regional

transport policy.

Looking

after

the sea

Trend

The sea gets fuller

• Uttle attention is paid to sustainable use of the sea

• Water quality is much improved

Tendency

The North Sea as garbage can

• Probiems on the land are moved to the sea • Loss of respect for the sea

Perspective

The living sea

• Usefulness and necessity of development in the sea must be convincingly demonstrated • Intrinsic qualities of the sea used as starting

point

• Economic and ecological developments should reinforce each other

How full is the North Sea?Opinions differ. For centuries, ithas had a

multitude of uses.Somesaythe North Seastill has plentyofroom

-plenty enough, inanycase,for windfarms, an offshore airport, new housing and atransmission tower or two. Others think that the North Seais alreadyin intensive use and the onlything itshould be full of is unspoilt nature.

Intrinsic value of the sea

Past Present Future

The North Sea has great intrinsic qualities, determined in part by physical

and ecological factorsthat peoplehave long made use of: fishing, oil and

gasextraction, shipping and harbours, sand extraction and thelaying of

cablesand pipelines. We have even turned parts of the seainto land - the

Zuiderzee polders, for instance, and the Maasvlakte near Rotterdam. Lack

of spaceon the land makes us more inclined to moveour activities to the

sea. That, in turn, increases the need to fine-tune these developments to take into account the natural carrying capacity oftheNorth Sea.The sea is notagarbage can.On the contrary, it is a livingentity with a large but far

from infinite ability to recover.

An important principle in the management of the North Seaisthe

so-called'Precautionary Principle'. One wayof stating this is thatany

proposal has to be proven safe byits promoters. Itis not up its opponents

to prove that it isdangerous. This shift in the burden of proof, which had

alreadybeen usedwith success in preventing pollution, nowprovides the North Sea with an extralevel of protection. Itis hoped that this will lead to a sustainable and multifunctional use of the sea.

Looking after the North Seameans:

1 What can be done on the land should be done on the land.

2 The sea is not the automatic solution jor land problems.Itis, at best, only one of a number of options.The impottance of the proposed activity and the neeä to move it to the sea mustfitstbeproven beyend teasonable doubt.

3 If some activity must be moveä to the sea, it must be done in a way that adds value to the sea and coast.

Dutch territoria I waters

Cables

Pipelines

o Shippinq lenes

o Dutch contlnental shett

• Defence zones

• Dredqer dumplnq zones o Sand extraction

li4. Platforms

Spatial use of the North Sea

Souree:Ministry of Transport, PublicWorks and Water Manaqement, North Sea Directorate.

Providing added value for coastand sea means fitting together different activities.A powerful instrument for achieving this is zoning: extend harbours near existing industrial zones (Rijnmond, Ijmond, Western Scheldt),take special care of the seascape in the Wadden region, build an island inthe sea so that it is unobtrusive and causes a minimum of extra erosion. But value can also be added to sea and coastby making positive improvements elsewhere, such as a rest area or development zone for increasing the resilience of the coast, or by clearing upthe damage from existing activities such as dumping at sea or sea floor damage caused by the use of dredge nets.

History teaches us that socialperceptions are subject to change.Decisions

taken now will, for example, affect ecological andmorphological

equilibria for many decades to come, Forthis reason flexible, reversible solutions and 'building with nature' should be preferred. Looking after

the sea means having to make choices.Not everything, after all, is

possible.

Handholds

• Recognizetheintrinsic value of

the sea

• Do not mortgage the future:only

start things where the effects can be foreseen with confidence.

• Effective planning tools to

regulate developmentin the North Sea.

• An interdepartmental consensus

for managingthe North Sea.

I ':.Ó,

, I

'Quality will always stand out!'

First Steps

towaräs

a Dialogue

A Coastal ZonePerspectivesketches out

perspectives for coastal development. That is necessary because, if we carry on

the way we're going there will be no

wayback. These perspectives cannot be

realized tomorrow or even the day after

tomorrow but they do not havetobe.

Luckily, at many places along the coast,

small but significant steps have been taken in the right direction. These steps do not all have to be large or rigorous

but they do need tobe innovative and

able to encourage other initiatives.

Itis important to bring about an

exchange of views about the

perspectives sketched out here between all parties with an interest in the

development of the coast.Ithas

therefore been suggested to start

a dialogue over A Coastal Zone

Perspective and other preliminary

studies of the coast and coastal development. This dialogue will come

toan end in the summer of 1999 to give

time for the results to be incorporated

into the forthcoming policydocuments.

This dialogue is concerned with the

future ofthe sea and coastand how

this can be accommodated in a wel l-integrated consensus that also leaves room for a certain amount offine

tuning atregionallevel.

Parade of qood examples

• Near Bergen in North Holland, a 'kerf' (notch) has been dug into the most seaward row of dunes to increase the interdependence of the dunes and the sea.

• On the island of Vlieland, the uninhabited Kroon's polders have been reconnected with the WaddenSea.This has restored both the salinity gradient and former salt marshes. • In the publication 'Oevelopment Perspectives for the North Sea Boulevard'

(Onwikkelingsperspectief Noordzee Boulevard), a common innovative vision for product and market development alonq the coast is presented.

• In 'Nieuw Rotterdams Peil' the World Wildlife Fund sketches out a perspective for the estuarine Rijnmond area near Rotterdam as a development of their vision for the coast 'Meegroeien met de zee' ('Growing with the Sea').

• Off the coast of Delfland, a number of foreshore nourishments have been carried out, aimed at increasing the resilience of this stretch of coast, which has narrow dunes. • In the province of North Holland, an exploratory study for the discussion of future

water management has been carried out on the possibilities for water storage. It is calied 'Levende Berging' ('Living Storage').

• Near Renesse,the first coastal park-and-ride system has been openedto limit car traffic going towards the beach.

• The dune water supply companies have plans to counteract the drying out of the dunes by using a new water extraction technology calied 'deep infiltration'.

• There are plans to breathe new life into the idea of a 'wandering dune' in the Kennemer dunes.

Obviously it is the coastal provinces that will take the lead in this dialogue.

Itis, after all, the provinces that take the

sort of broad planning decisions where visions and concrete plans come

together.These provinces will

-rogether with the four departments

-contribute to the coast dialogue in their

regions. The results of this dialogue

represent the most important contributions to National Coast Conference, which is being organized for the summer of 1999.

ACoastal Zone Perspective .24

Examples of visions of the coast (development)

• Meegroeien met de Zee (WNF,1996)

• Zee van Cultuur (AVN!NBT, 1997)

• Ruimte voor de Kust

(Stichting duinbehoud,1997)

• Zee, Zand en Later

(Vereniging natuurmonumenten, 1998)

• Bruisend Water (Zuid Holland, 1998)

• Te Kust en te(r) Keur (V&W,1998)

• Beelden van de Kust als Baken voor

colopium

A Coastal Zone Petspectivewas written bythe working group 'tnteràepattmental visionfotthe Coast':

Emmy Bolsius (vRoMfNationalSpatial Planning Agency)

Leentien Frenkel (Ez/EconomieSttucture) Roeland Hillen (V&W,Water Ditectorate)

Henk de Kruik (V&W,National lnstitute forCoastal and Marine Management) Jacques de Win(LNV,Directoratefor the SOl/th-West).

Design- PeterDauvellier Photography- Peter Dauvellier,

Ministry of Transport, Public Works and WaterManagement (pages 4/1and15) KeesScherer (P.14),

Jan vande Kam(p.1S). Text- The Working Group Editorial· Leo Klep

Layout· Bart Konings, Studio Tint

Printed by Drukkerij vanDeventer

March 1999

For information andsuggestions, you cancontact the workgroup secretary: Ir.H.]. de Kruik

Rijksinstituut voor Kust en Zee

Postbus 20907

2500EXDen Haag

The Netherlands

Tel:+31(0)7031143 76

Fax:+31(0)703114300

Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management

and Fisheries

Ministry of Economie Affairs Mini,try of PubticHou,ing, Spatial Planning and the Environment