ASPIRINGGEOPARK SCHELDT DELTA

On the tides of time and climate

ASPIRINGGEOPARK SCHELDT DELTAThe Flemish-Dutch Delta is a unique geological area. Not only the geological structure, but also the relationship between the history and future climate change makes this area like no other.

Climate change and the way man responds to it is decisive, in particular in a Deltaregion, for the way the land

is used, the sustainability and future geological structure of it.

The contrasting, living Delta, where living with and the struggle against water has largely characterised the local society, would be, in our opinion, an interesting addition to the international GeoPark knowledge network.

Food, Leisure and

Outdoor

Tidel River morphology

Salt Marshes and Tidal Flats

Flooding

Estates and Castles

Defense Lines and

Forts

1,5 million

inhabitants

5.415 km²

61 municipality

(Historical) Landscapes

Man Made

Quarry

218.000 - 14.700 BP

Sea level approximately - 90 m Braided river system Aeolian sediments Tundra vegetation

Late Pleniglacial

312.700 - 10.200 BP

Sea level approximately - 70 m Braided river system Aeolian sediments, minimal vegetation Parabolic dunes present

Younger Dryas

44700 BP

Sea level approximately - 2,5 m Tidal flats and salt marshes with peatland

Early Subboreal

53450 - 2950 BP

Sea level approximately - 2 m Small river stream Scheldt Peatland with raised bog and fence

Late Subboreal

6Current

Sea level approximately + 0 m Broad river/estuary Reclaimed land (mostly clay) and dikes

Subatlantic Late Holocene

1

Sea level approximately + 40 m Shallow open sea, deposition of clayey sediments on the sea floor (Boom clay)

Sharks present

Early Oligocene (Rupelian)

33.9 - 28.1 M years ago

Chronostratigraphy Holocene and Late Pleistocene

Geological Classification Cenozoic

M

year

s ag

o

2

1

3

Cenozoic

Quaternary

Holocene

Pleistocene

Pilocene

Oligocene

Eocene

Paleocene

MioceneNeogene

Paleogene

0.0117

0

4

5

HO

LOC

ENE

LAT

E P

LEIS

TOC

ENE

Wei

chse

lian

EEMIAN

EARLY GLACIAL

Pleniglacial

LateGlacial

Younger Dryas

Late Pleniglacial

Middle Pleniglacial

Early Pleniglacial

Older Dryas

Allerød

Bølling

LateHolocene Subatlantic

EarlyHolocene Preboreal

Boreal

MiddleHolocene

Subboreal

Atlantic

2.600

5.700

8.700

10.250

11.65012.85013.90014.03014.64030.00060.000

130.000

117.000

75.000

BP

3

2

0

2.58

5.333

23.03

33.9

56.0

66.0

From the Middle Ages, the salt marshes were gradually provided with dikes. As a result, the estuary of the Scheldt became smaller and smaller. Therefore the tide in the Scheldt became larger.

This process was reinforced from the 20th century borg by making the Western Scheldt better navigable and recent accelerated sea level rise. In the densely populated Scheldt region, this will pose major safety risks due to the increasing risk of flooding and drainage problems. We will have to make a new alliance with the water and adapt our area to climate change, taking into account the lessons from the past.

For thousands of years the Scheldt Estuary has functioned as a ‘climate living lab’. Where people have been dealing with climate change and the consequences of their own interventions (e.g. building dikes). During storm surges dikes collapsed and cities drowned. Flooding events over the last decade led to the innovative flooding protection plans: the Delta Programme (Netherlands) and Sigmaplan (Belgium). As a result the Scheldt Delta became the most

CLIMATE LIVING LAB

456

6

New Concepts of Living with Water have to be made

Map of Zeeland and Flanders in 1573, C. Sgrooten

Increase in Mean High Water of the Sea Scheldt from the Late 19th Century

Distance to Scheldt mouth (km)

Antwerp+ 85 cm sea level rise

Mean High Water

protected delta in the world, with the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier as best-known example.

Up until today the inhabitants of the area are still facing the challenges of sea-level rise and climate change. New studies show a sea level rise of 1 meter in 2100 and heavy rainfall is no exception any more. By looking at the past we can learn how to deal with present and future challenges on climate change and adaptation (e.g. saline agriculture). A shift takes place from the struggle against the water to living with the water (water management). The Geopark area has many sites where geological heritage

teaches residents and visitors about the past and inspire them to reflect about future climate proof solutions. There is no other area in the world where human influence over the last 2000 years was that significant on geology and landscape. The transboundary Geopark offers an international forum for the exchange of experiences and knowledge in this field.

We want to share the knowledge of how land, sea, man and water interacted, in a constantly changing climate. By doing this we want to learn more (for ourselves and for other delta’s in the world) what is the effect on climate, land, sea, man and water of new decisions on development: Climate Living Lab Scheldt Delta.

INVOLVED PARTIES

INITIATORS

MORE INFORMATION

Art Impressions Ulco Glimmerveen and Anneleen Quist (illustration)Photography Agiv, Luc Bauters, Arjen Hartog, Erik Heskes, Rudy Jansen, Jasper Jonkers,

Walter Jonkers, Imke Mulders, VWWM, Watlab, Willem de Weert and DNA Beeldbank Zeeland

Maps material Buro Kreek enzoDesign www.marlymulders.nl

Artevelde University College Ghent, Brabants Landschap, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Deltares, Erfpunt Onroerend Erfgoed Waasland, Grenspark Groot-Saeftinghe, Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide, Havenland, HZ University of Applied Sciences, IVN, Nationaal Park Oosterschelde, Natuurmonumenten, Natuurpunt, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Oosterscheldemuseum, Rivierpark Scheldevallei, Stichting De Brabantse Wal, Staatsbosbeheer, Streekorganisatie Brabantse Wal, TNO, Vlaams Nederlandse Delta, University of Antwerp, Ghent University, Vildaphoto, VU Amsterdam, Watersnoodmuseum, Waterpoort and Zeeuws Landschap

info@scheldedelta.eu and www.scheldedelta.eu