Webinar Quantifying vegetation dynamics for designing and managing Nature-based Solutions
Quantifying vegetation dynamics for designing and managing Nature-based Solutions
Globally, population growth, urbanization and sea level rise will expose an increasing number of people and assets to coastal flooding. Traditionally, governments tend to protect river basins and coastlines against flooding and erosion using man-made structures such as levees, breakwaters and revetments. These traditional solutions seem generally cost-effective but are permanently altering the system in negative ways that reduce resilience and limit future adaptation possibilities. Nowadays, Nature-based Solutions such as mangroves and marshes, are considered as sustainable and cost-effective alternatives.
The performance of ecosystem services in Nature-based Solutions largely depends on the state of the ecosystem. Ecosystems are intrinsically dynamic and might be affected by effects of climate change such as sea-level rise and changing river discharges. These dynamics result in changes in vegetation characteristics, thereby affecting the magnitude of ecosystem services and the performance of Nature-based Solutions. A correct quantification of hydrodynamic, morphological and ecological processes is thus critical in order to assess the functioning of an Nature based Solutions over time and within the wider landscape. Innovative methods for vegetation modelling are developed, ranging from simple implementation of (static) vegetation, to more complex computations of the vegetation dynamics in the Delft3D Flexible Mesh Suite.
Quantifying the natural dynamics of Nature based Solutions is a key priority area of the Deltares Sustainability Strategic Research Program. This includes correct representation of the underlying processes by new developments in Delft3D vegetation modelling tools.
This webinar will therefore show you three examples of the latest vegetation modelling development at Deltares using Delft3D: vegetation in river models and dynamic vegetation modelling of salt marshes and mangroves. This webinar is meant for both technical and less-technical audience and will link research to applications, highlighting their societal impact.
Webinar speakers
- Dr.ir. Ellis Penning, Programme manager Sustainability
- Dr.ir. Koen Berends, Researcher river dynamics and inland waterways
- Dr.ir. Jasper Dijkstra, Researcher eco-engineering in coastal ecosystems
- Ir. Uwe Best, PhD researcher Coastal Engineering
Recording Available Online
The complete recorded webinar, including navigation options to specific parts of the video, is now available online.