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Bregje vanWesenbeeck
(
The Hague, 1976) is an ecologist whose doctorate focused
on the dynamic behaviour of salt marshes. As a specialist
in eco-engineering, she has worked on projects throughout
the world and she plays a pioneering role in this field. She
participates in international expert groups and platforms,
and publishes regularly on eco-engineering in leading
scientific magazines. Bregje has been working for Deltares
since 2007
OLOGISTS HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE
CV
DELTARES, JANUARY 2014
admittedly building up fast: we are moving in the
right direction but we still need to develop a lot
of knowledge. One of the things we don't know
enough about is system turning points: when does
the foreland erode and when does it accrete? A lot
of research is still needed.‘
‘
Natural defences are designed differently but,
ultimately, we still want to be able to test them
in the same way as traditional infrastructure.
So we are working hard on drafting standard
rules and guidelines for design, construction and
management. Trust in natural defences is not
something that develops naturally. Establishing
these guidelines will involve a lot of measurements
and modelling, and a lot of projects are in
progress, both in Europe and elsewhere. Strategic
alliances are also being established to boost our
knowledge base quickly. ‘
Management
Management is also a challenge because it works
differently than with hard infrastructure. ‘Nature
is dynamic, and it is constantly developing,’
explains Bregje. ‘To a certain extent, we can predict
the dynamics and that can help, for example,
when deciding about monitoring frequencies for
a particular area. It is essential for management
to be tailored in the light of monitoring results.
We already have a lot of experience in this area
for sandy coastlines and we are now learning
more about how to work with other systems. Risk
management is also developing: we have picked
up very extensive experience in this field working
on traditional solutions like dikes and dams. We
can also use those methods with more natural dike
types.’
Bregje believes that most added value can be
generated by synergetic solutions. ’Traditional
engineering techniques such as building clay
dikes or dams can be combined with ecosystem
conservation or recovery. One example has resulted
in the restoration of many kilometres of mangrove
forests on the coast of Vietnam, saving millions of
dollars every year on the maintenance of the dikes in
the hinterland. We are now implementing the same
approach in Indonesia: soft measures adapted to the
system in order to prevent coastal erosion and bring
back mangroves.’
Challenge
Bregje recognises that eco-engineering still faces
numerous challenges. ‘The knowledge base is