Climate responsive research by design: The opportunities of the 'Vlakte van de Raan' within the coastal area of Flanders

Raised interest for planning at sea : The sea recently attracts special attention in light of adaptation to global warming and socio-economic development. Among other problems, the climate change and the affiliated sea-level rise cause increased coastal erosion and larger extreme waves. As a result existing coastal defenses are getting outdated. The offshore advance the line strategy consists of measures to increase the robustness (IPCC CZMS, 1990; Klein and Tol, 1997). In Belgium this strategy has gotten picked up by private participants who developed the master plan Flemish Bays (THV Vlaamse Baaien, 2010). This master plan proposes to raise existing sandbanks and to construct islands in front of the current coastline...

Climate change related challenges and socio-economic developments at the Vlakte van de Raan: Near the Vlakte van de Raan different problems, related to climate change, take place.
Morphological changes of the Vlakte van de Raan could resolve each of these problems. Firstly, to remediate coastal defense, which will be outdated now or in the future by raising sea-levels, the advance the line strategy can be applied. Transforming the Vlakte van de Raan into an island, an action that is not part of the master plan Flemish Bays, could help protect seaside resorts Heist, Duinbergen, Knokke and Cadzand. Whether such islands actually provide protection is debatable (Reyns et al., 2010), yet the idea will be examined within the master plan Flanders Coastal Safety (Afdeling Kust, 2011)...

Research by design as a tool for an integrated project at sea: The reorientation of shipping lanes is a base for the CcASPAR proposal. A new gully, a deepened Geul van de Walvisstaart, creates a shorter link between the international eastwest traffic route and the ports within the Westerscheldt estuary. As a result, the gullies Oostgat and Sardijngeul are no longer needed and structural measures to remediate coastal erosion near Walcheren can be put through. An intervention at the Vlakte van de Raan, reshaping the shoal and its surroundings, could create favorable conditions near
the coastline which would render estuary shipping by reinforced inland vessels unnecessary. Such development would stimulate inland traffic via the Westerscheldt
estuary and the project to enlarge the Schipdonk channel would no longer be needed...