Towards a more natural form of coastal defence

In the past, coastal areas were often hit by floods. This resulted in a lot of misery and even caused entire villages and areas to disappear under water. Heavy seawalls were constructed along the coast to tackle such issues. 

Today, it is still important to protect ourselves against the force of the see, but possibilities to take advantage of the opportunities offered by nature and building together with nature are also considered. Some examples of more natural forms of coastal defence can be found below.

In Westende, work is currently underway on a green seawall. In front of the current seawall, a grass dune is constructed which will provide the necessary protection against storm surges. A natural sun-soaked trail will increase the experience value for residents and tourists.

On the Ostend East Bank and in Raversijde, another pilot project is underway in which marram grass is planted in certain areas in front of the seawall. Both locations experience issues with drifting sand on the seawall. The creation of these pilot zones is hoped to improve sand retention in a natural way.

The Coastbusters 2.0 project aims to investigate how mussel banks can be deployed in a smart way to prevent coastal erosion. The construction of naturally created mussel reefs is a promising technique to protect our coast in a sustainable manner in changing climate conditions.

The concept is currently tested in two zones off the Belgian coast. During the project, particular attention is also paid to monitoring the ecosystem to identify and evaluate any changes to the ecosystem.

Want to know more about nature-based solutions? Professor Pieter Rauwoens (KU Leuven) elaborates on this topic in the recently published article ‘Coastal protection: a job for nature itself’. 

Or do you want to know how this is handled abroad? Be sure to participate in the free webinar ‘Working together with nature on a resilient coast’, which focuses on natural solutions in the United Kingdom.