Intervento di Jos Brils, SedNet. Conferenza Finale Progetto GREEN SITE: “Supercritical fluid technologies for river and sea dredge sediment remediation”. LIFE 10 ENV/IT/343. Venezia, 13 dicembre 2013

1. European state-of-the-art on sediment
management: sediment management 2.0
Jos Brils (jos.brils@deltares.nl)
www.deltares.nl
experts.deltares.nl/jos.brils
Final Conference LIFE+ project GreenSite “Innovative Technologies for Infrastructural Efficiency and Environment Protection”, 13 December 2013, Venice

2. Content
My vision on:
•
Sediment
•
Sustainable sediment management: guiding principles
•
Sediment management 2.0
•
Ecosystem services as objective and common language
observed
predicted
trend
Vision based on
2013
no
yes

3. Vision on sediment

4. senza sedimenti non Venezia
sedimento è una risorsa preziosa
merita di essere ben gestita!
gestita!
gracie freetranslation.com
foto: laguna di Venezia (J. Brils, gracie KLM)
foto:
Brils,

5. Different visions
(Hakstege, SedNet conference 2004)
Hidden
Toxic
Waste
Not sexy
Difficult
Nimby

6. Contradicting visions
yes (same quality)
assessed (scientific) =
perceived (society)

7. SedNet vision
(Martin, 2002)
Too much sediment
Too little sediment
Sediment as resource
Obstruction of channels
Rivers fill and flood
Reefs get smothered
Turbidity
Beaches erode
Riverbanks erode
Wetlands are lost
River profile degradation
Construction material
Sand for beaches
Wetland nourishment
Soil enrichment
Habitat and food for life
Sediment = no waste =
essential & integral element of our river systems

8. What’s in a word …
association (y-axis)
Sand
Resource
1,10
Clay
Habitat
very positive
0,90
River bed
Compost
0,70
Gravel
Capping layer
Sediment
0,50
neutral
scientific (x-axis)
Fertilizer
0,30
Suspended solids
Silt
0,10
Loosefill
-1,50
-1,30
-1,10
-0,90
-0,70
-0,50
Mud
-0,30
-0,10
-0,10
Suspended
matter
0,10
0,30
0,50
0,70
0,90
1,10
1,30
Deposit
negative
-0,30
-0,50
Waste
-0,70
very negative
Slurry
Mire
Cloth Mess
Gunk
-0,90
Lees
Filth
Shit
-1,10
Dirt
Dung
non
very
Dredged material
Sludge
positive
-1,30
-1,50
Brils et al. (2004 ) Devine mud (290 Dutch sediment professional responses to questionnaire)

9. Sustainable sediment management:
guiding principles

10. Sustainable sediment management
(according to SedNet)
Find solutions:
•
in the context of the whole river system
•
carefully balancing environmental and
socio-economical values
•
in increased interaction with stakeholders
•
embracing the whole soil-water system
(integrated solutions)
•
respecting natural processes and
functioning
•
not resulting in up-/downstream impacts,
not now or in the future
Salomons & Brils (Eds.) (2004) Contaminated Sediments in European River Basins

11. Sediment management 2.0
‘trend watched’ by
be well
informed
manage adaptively
pursue a participatory
approach

12. Be well informed

13. System understanding is the basis
measures
global
change
sources
pathways
ecosystem
receptors
(ES)
policy &
management
at risk
information
Brils et al. (Eds) (2014) Risk-Informed Management of European River Basins
e.g.
Triad

14. Triad approach
tool type:
physicochemical analysis
in vitro & vivo assays
field inventory
indicates:
a.o. contaminants
effects
ecosystem impacts
identifies:
hazard
causal linking:
Salomons & Brils, 2004 (adapted)
risk
=
TIE or
EDA
=
model
ecosystems
EPC
(Effects & Probable Causes)
impact

15. Example from practice (be well informed ...)
a personal,
practical experience
in trying to influence the
Meuse river basin management
policy agenda
a story about
timing & urgency of
scientific knowledge
Brils. May 24th Green Week 2012.
Urgency and timing: key-pillars of the science-policy bridge

16. Once I was involved in a EU-project …
One of its conclusions in 2008:
Flooding will
mobilize historic
contamination from
river banks and
floodplains

17. Also in the Meuse river basin …
Such contaminated river banks occur:

18. I was aware of …
Brils et al. (2014)(inspired by Crilly, 2007)

19. Thus presented results to the IMC …
Their (unofficial) response:
• Interesting
• But need a more convincing story:
LA COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DE LA MEUSE
“elaborate an appealing example, where clearly quantified
downstream risks result from remobilized contaminants from
upstream Meuse riverbanks”

20. Thus we did …
• Flémalle site
• Hypothetical, but
realistic, severe flood
event simulation
• Using EXPOBASIN
• Benzene, fluoranthene
and cadmium as
representative
contaminants
• Funded by Deltares

21. Outcome was …
“crustaceans will
be affected at
downstream areas
were the remobilized
sediments settle
again”
Keizersveer
Eijsden
(February 2011)
Flemalle
site
quality of deposits (fluoranthene, µg/kg dw).

22. Then ‘window of opportunity’ opened …
Kingdon, 1992.
model was used in:
sediment at agenda of IMC annual
plenary meeting (week 48, 2011)

23. Outcome was …
“after an orientating discussion
of the theme 'sediment'
it is decided to let the theme rest due to
lacking capacity and other priorities.”
LA COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DE LA MEUSE

24. My conclusions …
• It may take quite a lot of endurance to get scientific evidence noticed
at policy making levels
• Timing is very important (and think our timing was right)
• However, ‘sense of urgency’ is probably more crucial
What can we do more
– or hope for –
to get mobilization of historic contamination
perceived as ‘urgent’ and thus
to get it addressed in RBMPs?

25. Manage adaptively

26. Several adaptive cycli
implement
management
apply
measures
global
change
sources
formulate
receptors
(ES)
pathways
ecosystem
share
at risk
information
update
monitor &
evaluate
explore
policy &
management
organize
assess
knowledge
policy

27. Pursue a participatory approach

28. Learn together to manage together
learn-by-doing:
allow for experimentation
cocreation of
knowledge
Brils et al. (Eds) (2014) Risk-Informed Management of European River Basins

29. Most difficult, however …
however …
“It is human nature to
stay within our own
comfort zones”
Peggy Guggenheim foundation, Venice
Brils et al. (Eds) (2014) Risk-Informed Management of European River Basins

30. Example from pratice (Living with Dredged Material project)
Adriaan Slob, TNO, adriaan.slob@tno.nl (coördinator Living with Dredged Material)

31. Ecoystem services
as objective and
common language

32. Ecosystem services: the services of nature
COM (2013) Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES)

33. Sediment ecosystems (and their services)
People
Profit
high
Planet
economy:
jobs & energy
safety & health
perceived
urgency
ecosystems
work 24/7 for
you,
for free! *
contribution
(sediment)
ecosystem services
low
key issues
* Alan Covich , 2011 SedNet conference
Conclusions from session at SedNet conference 2013, Lisbon (chair: J. Brils)

34. Sediment ecosystems (and their services)
construction sand
biomass for energy
fascinating study object
flood defense
C-sequestration
water retention
People
Profit
high
Planet
economy:
jobs & energy
safety & health
perceived
urgency
contribution
thank you
ecosystem!
(sediment)
ecosystem services
low
key issues
toxics immobilization
biomass for consumption
biodiversity to enjoy
Conclusions from session at SedNet conference 2013, Lisbon (chair: J. Brils)
works 24/7 for
you, for free!

35. To conclude: sediment management 2.0 =
be well
informed
manage
adaptively
pursue a participatory
approach
... and ecoystem services as
objective and common language
Thank you for
your attention!