Building with Nature: sustainable solutions
Respect the natural process and connect with it
Let nature work for you. That’s what’s at the heart of ‘Building with Nature’, a principle that Delft civil engineer Ronald Waterman launched twenty-five years ago. Climate change is reinforcing the awareness that more has to be done with it. Royal Haskoning is making a point of using the ‘Building with Nature’ concept and is working on sustainable solutions with plenty of opportunities for varied combinations of functions.
“It’s a question of combining large-scale water storage, housing, green space and recreation in one area. In a small country like the Netherlands, with a lack of space and water problems in many areas, the need to combine functions is becoming greater and greater.’ Robert Speets, water management consultant, and a wide consortium looked into opportunities for a sustainable climate buffer in the Haarlemmermeer polder. ‘There is now an economically practicable and climate-resistant plan for a part of the polder, interweaving water, housing and green space. This is a plan that respects and incorporates the natural processes in the area. The retention of rainwater guarantees good water quality and makes the area fully self-supporting in its water needs. We can also develop a “Building with Water” plan like this in other places in the world.”
Back to the natural process
“Solid seawalls have been built, rivers have been embanked, fresh and salt water separation introduced and many other technological measures employed in the struggle against water—but less attention has been paid to the natural processes that take place. For example, after the sea was cut off from the Volkerak-Zoommeer in Zeeland, the lake became an important source of fresh water supply, but also blue-green algae flourished. This had a huge impact on nature, recreation and noxious smells.’ Speets is involved in a number of the problems in the delta in Zeeland. ‘A salt water Volkerak-Zoommeer offers the solution to the algae bloom problem. Tidal dynamics in the delta have to be restored in order to be able to better anticipate the rising sea level and secure the safety of the surrounding countryside. Deposition would raise mud flats and salt marshes. Some polders along the coastline could—temporarily or otherwise—be unpoldered. Tidal dynamics also provide a more natural system with a positive effect on biodiversity. The discussion about this in Zeeland is still in full swing and that’s a good thing, because it challenges people to think about it even harder. It produces insights and solutions other than just going on raising the dikes. It also offers opportunities for new applications: fish farms for sole and brackish water agriculture, for example. So bring other disciplines in, but do watch out for tortuous planning pathways and procedures.”
Towards robust climate buffers
Speets sees the sense of urgency getting stronger. ‘Because of climate change we are approaching the limits of our present system. Nature organizations are calling for robust natural “climate buffers”. We can put large, interconnected climate buffers in place by taking natural processes as the starting point for the layout of the landscape not just in existing natural areas but also beyond them. They had already drafted an initial concept for this; we elaborated on it. Buffers like these work better than taking measures in separate places. We have to find solutions in area development processes in which everyone involved rises above their sectoral interests in order to look for clever connections in areas where the natural processes can go their own way. In the short term this may require sacrifices, but it will pay for itself in the longer term. Respect nature and connect with it as much as possible. Learn a lesson from the history of creation and look at what opportunities this offers for new developments. And obviously this doesn’t just apply to the Netherlands…’
Contact: Rob Speets
+ 31 (0)10 2865 532
r.speets@royalhaskoning.com
