Physical planning in the coastal region of Zeeland, The...

- Physical planning in the coastal region of Zeeland - 135

Journal of Coastal Conservation 4: 135-142, 1998© EUCC; Opulus Press Uppsala. Printed in Sweden

Abstract. The Dutch province of Zeeland is situated in thesouthern part of the Delta region. The geographical location ofthe province and its history of inundation, land reclamationand dam-building, clearly illustrate the importance that wateralways has had and still has in The Netherlands. Coastaldefence projects are of utmost importance for The Netherlandsand the Delta Project is the crown project.

The importance of this project does not only regard theprotection against the sea; the Delta dams also contributeconsiderably to the regional infrastructure. They are a impor-tant contribution to the abolishment of the former isolation ofthe region. They control inland navigation and form importantboundaries for water management. They separate salt, brack-ish and fresh water as well as waters with or without tidal-influence and they also influence the ecological systems in andalong the waters.

Through physical planning, including the coastal policy oftoday, land and water can be further integrated. This paperdiscusses the role of the Province in area planning, related tothe division of labour between the various public authorities inThe Netherlands: state, provinces and municipalities. Coastaland water policy at the provincial level have been largelyintegrated with relevant other interests.

It may be concluded that regional planning and coastal policyare beginning to adopt a new view towards dealing with water.

Keywords: Coastal zone; Delta works; Integrated coastalpolicy; Physical planning.

Introduction

The Dutch province of Zeeland (‘Sea-land’) is situ-ated in the southwestern Netherlands. There is no prov-ince so closely tied to the sea as Zeeland. The provincehas been and still is being formed by natural forces andhuman action. The Zeeland coastline functions as themore or less natural physical border between the landand the larger bodies of water, i.e. the North Sea and theestuaries of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt.

Just as a large part of The Netherlands, most ofZeeland is situated below mean sea level. This precari-ous situation is well-expressed in the device of theprovince, ‘Luctor et Emergo’, i.e. “I struggle andemerge”. The most important tools in this fight are the

Physical planning in the coastal region of Zeeland, The Netherlands

Colijn, C.J. & Binnendijk, A.C.

Space, Environment and Water Directorate of the Province of Zeeland, P.O. Box 165, NL-4330 AD Middelburg, The Netherlands;Tel. +31 118 631194; Fax +31 118 634756

coastal defence structures consisting of dunes, dikes anddams. At the same time, it is the very location ofZeeland on the coast which determines the nature andquality of the province, and which makes it an attractiveand interesting place to live and work in, or to visit.

The task of the physical planning authority of theprovince, including today’s integrated coastal policy, isto provide a framework for the development of bothworlds: land and water.

Zeeland and the waters: a history of defence anddependence

The history of coastal defence in Zeeland startedaround 1200 AD. People began building small dikes ofclay, first to protect the existing land, but later also toreclaim land which had been lost to the sea. From theMiddle Ages onwards there was a constant battle againstthe water, with varying success. Major flood disasters,with sometimes thousands of victims and loss of largeareas of land, alternated with periods of land reclama-tion, usually small areas at the time, and the damming upof dangerous flood channels.

This history can still be traced in the present land-scape, in (1) the many areas of reclaimed land, ‘pol-ders’ separated by dikes, (2) the creeks which areremnants of former flood channels (see Fig.1), (3) thebreach sites, and (4) the remnants of villages and tracesof habitation in areas which are nowadays situatedoutside the dikes.

Human impact was only small and local, at least inthe beginning. The knowledge and implements neededto tame the sea were limited. Reclamation of new landinto polders, in order to obtain fertile clay land forfarming, was almost always done at private initiative.The present form and shape of Zeeland were obtainedvery gradually.

In the 20th century, two developments have been ofdecisive importance. In the first place, knowledge ofcoastal civil engineering and the availability of techni-cal resources have increased rapidly, which enabled theconstruction of major ‘coastal works’. Secondly, the

136 Colijn, C.J. & Binnendijk, A.C.

Fig. 1. Former tidal flood channel;‘De Pluimpot’ (Tholen).

Delta Plan was initiated shortly after the flood disasterof 1953 in the southwestern Netherlands (see Fig. 2).During this storm flood 1835 persons and many hun-dreds of thousands of cattle and poultry were drowned.Many hundreds of km2 of agricultural land were inun-dated with salt water and the material damage wasenormous, may be as much as 10-20% of the DutchGross National Product.

This disaster finally led to the decision to obtain amuch higher safety level for the entire Dutch coastalzone. This became a national matter, for which parlia-ment had to pass a special act, the so-called Delta Act. Itis on the basis of this Act that the imposing and famousworks known as the Delta Project have been carried outin recent decades, particularly in the province of Zeeland.

Despite the 1953 catastrophe the sea should not onlybe seen as an enemy. Water is also very important forthe economic development of the province. The fertilefarmlands of the Zeeland polders are the result of claydeposits from the rivers and the sea. Almost all thenatural assets of the province have a historical or con-temporary link with the water. For as long ago as theMiddle Ages, shipping and overseas trade carried on byZeeland sailors and merchants have played a very im-portant part in the prosperity of the province.

Favourable locations along deep navigation channelsof the Western Scheldt, for example, led to new seaportsbeing built at Vlissingen and Terneuzen. Both the estab-lishment of seaport industries and the still-growing stor-age and transshipment activities at these ports creatednew jobs, as did the growth in supply industries andservices. These jobs were needed in the province, asmechanization and upscaling reduced the traditionalsources of employment in farming and related sectors.

Another major growth sector is recreation. ManyDutch and particularly foreign tourists have discoveredthe qualities of Zeeland’s North Sea beaches in recentdecades. This has led to a great increase in the number ofcamping sites along the coast, followed by the develop-ment of new holiday-home complexes. A great manyother amenities have also been created to make the tour-ist’s stay more attractive. The now partly closed-off estu-aries also proved to be a great attraction because of therecreation facilities they offer. Many forms of watersports, such as sailing, wind-surfing, diving and sports-fishing are practised here, and amenities and accommo-dation have also been created for these tourists.

The provincial administration plays an importantrole in the development of these social-economic func-tions. This role consists primarily of steering and coor-dinating at the regional level, for instance by the policyinstrument of physical planning. The Delta Project canbe seen as an infrastructural framework for Zeeland andits physical planning.

The Delta Project and the regional infrastructure

The prime objective in carrying out the Delta Project(see Fig. 3) was to reinforce the protection against newfloods. Right from the preparation and design phase,however, it was understood that the importance of theproject for Zeeland should go further than that. In par-ticular, the dams would become an essential part of themain regional infrastructure.

The roads which were built on top of the damsconnect the islands with each other and with the rest ofThe Netherlands. In this way there came an end to the


rather isolated situation of large parts of Zeeland. Thesenew road connections – as well as the impressiveZeeland bridge over the Eastern Scheldt (nr. 9 in Fig. 4)– made this major social-economic development of theregion possible, notably the expansion of harbours andindustry, and the rapid growth of the recreation busi-ness, would not have been possible. The dams also formthe framework for the functions of the major waterbodies in Zeeland.

Locks have been build in the dams to facilitateshipping: both inland trade-shipping and for recreationaluse. There are also discharge sluices and storm-surgebarriers which are used for managing the water qualityand -level. As the dams separate waters with differenthydrological conditions – salt, brackish or fresh and tidalor non-tidal – the dams also enclose the altered and partlynew ecological systems in and around these waters.

The Delta Project had also disadvantages for thesociety of Zeeland, albeit mainly locally. Several fish-ing ports lost a direct connection to the sea. The rein-forcement of dunes and dikes led to the loss of valuableecosystems and farmland, sometimes even includingfarm buildings. Jobs disappeared and landscape andnature changed, in some places very radically. It has tobe mentioned that the public authorities and plannershad taken this into account. Where possible, the planswere made in such a way as to minimize the damage, or

else compensatory amenities were built or new opportu-nities and perspectives created. Using the method theDutch call ‘creating work with work’, it was possible toachieve a great deal without running into exorbitantadditional costs. For example, fishing ports were relo-cated and working ports were turned into yachting mari-nas after completion of the Delta Project (see Fig. 4).New nature areas were created where possible, or condi-tions were provided for their development. A great dealof attention was also devoted to the structuring andcompletion of the new landscape, such as the building ofartificial dunes near the former working platform NeeltjeJans in the mouth of the Eastern Scheldt.

The development and implementation of the plans forthese additional amenities often took place on a projectbasis, usually involving the administrators, technicians andexperts from the various public authorities, thus creatingcollaboration between central, provincial and local au-thorities, each with their own know-how and responsi-bility. Thus, apart from greater safety, the Delta Projectalso had an organisational and administrative spinn-off.

The provincial authorities played an important rolein all this, partly because the provinces in The Nether-lands have a special responsibility for integrated plandevelopment regarding physical planning, and environ-mental- and water management. The integration of theDelta Project, the additional projects and, above all, the

Fig. 2. Areas in the Delta region which were inundated in 1953.


new opportunities which have arisen in Zeeland, haveled to an increased need for modern integrated planningfor land and water areas.

Therefore, through the years, zoning plans (includingshipping routes) have been developed for the Delta wa-ters, such as the former estuaries Veerse Meer, theGrevelingen (see Fig. 6) and the Eastern Scheldt.

Although the suitability of integrated planning ver-sus sectorial planning will not be explicitly discussed inthis paper, it is worthwhile mentioning that integratedplanning proved to be a very effective instrument. This isparticularly the case at the level of local planning, whenarea boundaries, the nature of problems and the interestgroups involved can be well-defined.

The more general the scale of planning (e.g. plan-ning at a national scale) the more difficult integratedplanning is presumed to be. Nevertheless it is supposedto be useful at the regional level of a province.

Regional planning at the provincial level

In The Netherlands, policy tasks and responsibilitiesare divided among the various public authorities: theState, the provinces and the municipalities. The mu-nicipalities have little or no role in coastal defence andwater management. Here, the water boards play animportant role. Water Boards are functional adminis-

trative authorities on the regional level. In Zeeland theWater Boards are responsible for regional water sys-tems. They are also responsible for the maintenance ofmost dikes in the province. In general, the main out-lines of the legislation and regulations are reserved forthe State.

The province of Zeeland, as the middle administrativelayer, develops policy plans for physical planning, watermanagement, environmental protection, nature conserva-tion and development, economic development, recrea-tion and tourism, as well as coastal and river-bank de-fences. These policy plans indicate the policy objectivesand the way in which the province wishes to deploy theavailable resources. The formulation of the land-use plans,the water management and the environmental policy is aspecific provincial task, regulated in the law. These plansalso relate to the entire territory of the province.

Regarding the waters, the following plans can bementioned:

Water management planThis plan (Anon. 1993a) contains the integral policy

for groundwater and surface water, and covers both thewater quality and quantity aspects. It includes, for exam-ple, quality targets related to the functions of the water,criteria for the issuing of discharge and extraction li-censes, as well as guidelines for the water managementplans drawn up and implemented by the Water Boards.

Fig. 3. The Delta Project.


Regional planThis plan (Anon. 1988) indicates the functions of the

various waters, and contains guidelines describing howprotective measures should be included in the municipalphysical planning projects for vulnerable functions suchas nature conservation areas, coastal defence and drink-ing water extraction from the dunes (see Fig. 5).

Nature policy planIn this plan (Anon. 1991a) the national nature policy

plan (Anon. 1990) is adapted to the Zeeland situation.The plan gives a precise indication about which areasform part of the national ecological main structure, in-cluding both existing and planned nature areas. Wherethese areas are not yet managed as nature areas, there areschemes for acquiring and managing them, using govern-ment funding. In Zeeland the plan involves several thou-sand hectares of farmland which are to be returned tomore natural systems, or whose natural assets are to beenhanced.

Policy plans for the major water bodiesThis plan includes the Eastern Scheldt (Anon. 1994a),

Western Scheldt (Anon. 1991b) and ‘voordelta’ (thesea area to the west of Zeeland) (Anon. 1993b). Thepolicy plans set out the desired integrated policy fordesign, use and management of the large waters; secto-rial developments have to be tested against this policy.

Area-specific projects.Integral area-specific projects are either currently

under way or in preparation for the area around theTerneuzen Canal to Ghent (Anon. 1992) and for the

coastal areas of Schouwen (Anon. 1994b, 1996a,b),Walcheren and Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen. These projectsare focused chiefly on the implementation of policy whilstensuring the most efficient possible use of financial andother resources by the responsible participants, publicauthorities and the private sector.

Policy plan for the Zeeland coastThis plan (Anon. 1995) sets out the integral coastal

policy, the elaboration of the national coastal defencepolicy in relation to the existing and desired functionsand interests in the coastal zone. (cf. de Ruig & Hillen1997; de Ruig 1998, this volume).

Policy developments concerning the coast

The last mentioned policy plan for the Zeeland coastrepresents the translation and formulation at the provin-cial level of the modern coastal defence policy (de Ruig1998, this volume). It includes attention for the inter-ests and functions of each sector of the Zeeland coast.Although coastal defence remains the most importantfactor in the new coastal policy, it is now also possibleto place the interests and functions of the coast in aframework of a future coastal policy. This is calledintegrated coastal policy: coastal defence, taking intoaccount the interests and functions in the coastal zone.This also means that the policy in the land-water zonebecomes more flexible, allowing for the constantlydiffering combinations of functions which are at workin different areas, or the different degrees in whichthey are present.

Fig. 4. Roompothaven,a new yachting marinain a former workingport.


In addition to coastal defence, the main functions ofthe North Sea coast of Zeeland are:• nature conservation; the dunes are an integral part of

the national ecological main structure and large sec-tions are protected by law as areas of natural impor-tance;

• recreation, and in particular beach recreation;• local extraction of fresh water for drinking water

purposes;• local development for housing, holiday accommoda-

tion and the restaurant and hotel sector.The central government policy of maintaining the coast-line through beach nourishment (de Ruig 1998, thisvolume) means that the existence of the coastal area hasbeen reasonably secured for many years, in the order ofdecades. This makes it basically possible to anticipatepossible future developments, including long-term ones.

It is no longer necessary to adopt a purely defensiveattitude towards the water. On the contrary, the addedvalue of the coast and of the coastal waters can now beconsidered.

As regards nature, there are opportunities for morenatural dynamics on the coastal ridge of the broader

dune areas in Zeeland (see Waterman et al. 1998, thisvolume). To date, the strict management of the outer-most dune ridge has led to a narrow continuous greensand ‘dike’ in which the managers anxiously seek tohold the sand in place by erecting wind-drift screens andby planting marram grass. In the new coastal defencepolicy (Hillen & Roelse 1995), natural and geomor-phological processes are again allowed more freedom,thus enhancing conservation values. This offers thepossibility of some man-controlled natural erosion ofthe dunes, of the creation of wet dune valleys, of smallman-made breaches in the outermost dune line with aresultant formation of small scale tidal inlets. In otherwords the originally dynamic character of the coastaldunes is restored to a certain extent.

However, it is necessary that the public authoritiesmaintain (some) control over the new developments inthe coastal region. Not all developments are compatible.The challenge is to strike a balance between the variouspolicy sectors and authorities and to obtain the broadestpossible support among policy makers and implemen-tors, but also among the population.

Fig. 5. Grevelingen Development plan.


A new view on the significance of coastal waters

The new integrated coastal policy, which is nowmuch more than a simple coastal defence policy, in-volves a new view on the significance of the coastalwaters. This view implies an area-based planning sys-tem in the coastal areas. Insights have changed andmodern technical know-how and resources enable manydevelopments which were unthinkable in the past.

For a long time, people living in low-lying areas,including Zeeland, have considered the water mainly asan enemy: how can we protect ourselves against itsaggression by controlling it, enclosing it. Today, there isa growing awareness that water systems possess impor-tant qualities, which have to be protected and restored.

In Zeeland, striking projects have been carried out,and are being prepared, in the boundary zone of land andwater which bear witness to this new view.

An example is the former ‘work island’ Neeltje Jans

in the mouth of the Eastern Scheldt, an important part ofthe storm surge barrier construction. During the construc-tion several millions of cubic metres of sediment werereleased. Some of this dredged material was used tocreate artificial dunes and shoals providing habitats forbirds. Another example is, the digging out of a workingport to create an intertidal zone and the lowering of landinside the dikes to form a marshy and wet nature reserveon the northern banks of the Eastern Scheldt.

Here the modern coastal engineering technology hashelped to make nature development a success. But notall plans were successful. For instance, plans for theWestern Scheldt met resistance.

These plans concern the restoration of nature andnatural dynamics in this estuary in order to limit thenegative effects of deepening the shipping lane. Oneaspect is the ‘depoldering’ of the land that was oncereclaimed for agricultural use. This leads to an increasein the extent of shallow waters where salt marshes and

Fig. 6. General zoning of the Delta waters in a regional plan.

Legend

Primarily nature

Primarily recreation

Fareway

0 5 10 km


mud flats can develop – these were the environmentsthat were reduced in size due to the dredging of theshipping lane.

These plans met a great deal of resistance. On theone hand, the arguments of the government to supportthe benefits of the measures kept changing – at first theonly purpose was to promote natural systems, thenagain they should also be useful and/or necessary forsafety reasons. This ambiguity did not increase thecredibility of these new plans. On the other hand, theregion was not prepared to break with the centuries-oldtradition of land reclamation and the struggle againstwater, simply because the neighbouring country (Bel-gium) wanted to deepen the shipping lane and conse-quently cause ecological damage. Only an integratedapproach for the entire delta would be likely to offer anyoutlook for the future.

In an integrated cross-border approach, it is essentialto have an idea which measures are possible. Moreover,it is of vital importance to make sure that those measuresare evenly divided across the whole of the delta. Theconsequences for safety, nature, the needs of the estuaryand delta, and the water defences must be very clear.The reasonableness and the effectiveness of the plansmust be accepted by the public and not simply sold tothem by a clever presentation. It should not be seen asoutside interference. The various levels of governmentshould coordinate their operations, with the provincialgovernment being the ideal level at which constructivediscussions can occur in the region. But it should be a realdiscussion, in which the practical experience of peopleliving in the Westerschelde area should have an impact.There should be enough time to thoroughly discuss theissues with one another so that a long-term strategy witha broad basis of support for the Westerschelde can beaccomplished. This is the key to achieving a perma-nently healthy estuary.

The Westerscheldt discussion arose many emotions,but that should not have a major influence on the generalconclusion: man can only use the waters properly andsustainably if the tension between land and water changesinto a peaceful coexistence and the apparent oppositionsform a true union, as they do in the name of the province:Zeeland.

References

Anon. 1988. Regional plan. Formulated by the province ofZeeland: established by the decision of the ProvincialeStaten, Middelburg, 24 June 1988. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1990. National policy plan of The Netherlands. Minis-try of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, TheHague.

Anon. 1991a. Nature policy plan for Zeeland. Province ofZeeland, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1991b. Western Scheldt policy plan. Western ScheldtGovernmental Sounding Board, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1992. Plan of approach for the canal zone. Steeringcommittee for an area-specific approach to the CanalZone, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1993a. Policy plan for the Voordelta area. Governmen-tal discussion on the Voordelta, Rijswijk. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1993b. Watermanagement plan 1993-1997. Projectgroup for Water Management Plan in the Province ofZeeland, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1994a. Eastern Scheldt policy plan. Eastern ScheldtSteering Committee in cooperation with the Province ofZeeland, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1994b. Specific area project Schouwen, regional view1. Schouwen-West administrative supervisory group,Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1995. Policy plan for the coast of Zeeland and thewestern Scheldt, formulated by the Committee for SeaDefence in Zeeland (ZOW), Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1996a. Specific area project Schouwen, regional view2. Schouwen-West administrative supervisory group,Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

Anon. 1996b. Elaboration of the regional plan for SchouwenWest, established by the Provincial Executive on 3 De-cember 1996, Middelburg. (In Dutch.)

de Ruig, J.H.M. 1998. Coastline management in The Nether-lands: human use versus natural dynamics. J. CoastalConserv. 4: 127-134. (This issue.)

de Ruig, J.H.M. & Hillen, R. 1997. Developments in Dutchcoastline management: Conclusions from the second gov-ernmental coastal report. J. Coastal Conserv. 3: 203-210.

Hillen, R. & Roelse, P. 1995. Dynamic preservation of thecoastline in The Netherlands. J. Coastal Conserv. 1: 17-28.

Waterman, R.E., Misdorp, R. & Mol, A. 1998. Interactionsbetween water and land in The Netherlands. J. CoastalConserv. 4: 115-128. (This issue.)

Received 17 June 1998;Revision received 24 October 1998;

Accepted 24 October 1998.

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