Resilient by Nature Revisited 26022017

© Marco Pluijm, 26/02/2017

© Marco Pluijm

Resilient by Nature, Revisited Marco Pluijm M.Sc Senior Expert Ports and Coasts Key Elements: Climate Change; Extreme Event Impacts; Resilient by Nature, Business Opportunities Setting

The first publications about the Resilient by Nature approach were shared in the public domain in June 2016. Another 16 papers have followed since. Sparking off and feeding into what appears to be an inspiring, creative and most and for all very useful and productive exchange of information and ideas. With input and support from basically all corners of the world. The issue of accelerated climate change and related extreme weather impacts is hot. And for good reasons. Climate change comes much faster and more intense than so far anticipated for. The consequences are often devastating and adequate response strategies and mitigating measures are hard to find. Many traditional solutions appear to have become inadequate. The approach Resilient by Nature has chosen is to gather and expand a set of adequate experience based physical response strategies and means, which do work and provide the right levels of protection, based on lessons learned from coastal areas and features which have been hit by at least one or more extreme weather events, without suffering from too much damage or no damage at all. Coastal systems with the ability to recover soon after the event by themselves. Demonstrating and performing natural resilience. Systems with the capacity to be transferred as effective and sustainable qualities and solutions to more vulnerable coastal stretches elsewhere in the world. Thus following a true holistic, system based approach.


More background information about the Resilient by Nature approach can be found on http://www.slideshare.net/MarcoPluijm/resilient-‐by-‐nature-‐update-‐27012017 Because the Resilient by Nature approach in itself is as dynamic as the features it is dealing with, reason to rethink, renew and evaluate the approach and basic principles on a regular basis. After almost 9 months since its introduction, it’s now the time to revisit the Resilient by Nature approach, evaluate and define opportunities for development potential. Evaluation After evaluation of the overall setting and methodology of the Resilient by Nature approach, supported by external peer reviews, conversations and extensive mail exchanges with contributors around the world, which support is highly appreciated, it is concluded that the Resilient by Nature approach is solid, robust and suitable for transfer and further implementation in other, more vulnerable areas. The degree of accelerated climate change differs per region and so does the need for suitable flood and impact protection adjustments and improvements. And so the need for a Resilient by Nature type of approach, type and range of components and building blocks. What’s very obvious, is that where changes are most apparent and intense, such as large parts of the US and Asia, adaptation and upgrading to a much more adequate coastal defense strategy is equally more urgent than in regions with much less exposure and related impacts, such as Europe. Common approach with regard to coastal protection against flooding and other extreme weather impacts and erosion, is usually based on maintaining safety levels and position of a predefined coastline by means of coastal features and structures, such as dunes, dikes and levees, in some cases in combination with artificial nourishment as part of the maintenance strategy. Rehabilitation of vegetation can be part of this too. A strategy which basically comes down to a very much two-dimensional approach, holding the line, leaving very little to no margin for natural regeneration or resilience. In case, as we are experiencing today, when the impact conditions are changing faster than originally anticipated for and become more intense, this becomes an even more pressing limitation. The way to go, in order to be prepared and effective under these changing conditions, is to move away from the current pretty much 2-dimensional reactive coastline defense approach towards proactive, 3-dimensioanl energy dissipation zones. Which in itself is not new. What’s new is the way and means to do it, making use of natural coastal features which are usually not taken into account as part of the traditional approach. Or not brought up to par nor (re-)introduced as part of the overall solution. Covering the zone between say the most landward 4 or 5 meter depth contour and the most seaward 15 to 20 meter depth contour, including all coastal features in between.


Coastal features such as sand banks, sand waves, shore parallel ridges, submerged- and overflow barriers, etcetera. Hybrid solutions in combination with sustainable polders and levees can be additional elements and solution providers. All together forming an integrated energy dissipation zone with the ability of natural resilience, all on a sustainable basis. Based on thorough understanding of the coastal system of interest with its challenges and the Resilient by Nature building blocks with proven and predictable behaviour and resilience characteristics. All on basis of empirical relationships and parameters, expert judgment and experience. Cumulating in a balanced array of impacts, active coastal features, anticipated responses, adequate safety levels and resilience options. Delivering a coherent, consistent and sustainable solution to the problem. Development Options There’s a potential for spin off related products in the wake of the Resilient by Nature holistic and experience based approach. Some of which may exist, other may need some form of upgrading or operationalization or appear to be new and to be developed all together. A few examples of such Resilient by Nature related spin off development options are: Computational models The application of computational models can be a useful instrument for reason of back up on the holistic and empirical approach or to provide more detailed information about the spatial distribution of certain parameters over the area. For instance when planning for additional functionalities such as ecosystem development. Which set of models needs to be able to deal with the combined effect of the various types of physical parameters and ambient conditions, such as currents in combination with short waves and various types of long waves, related to cohesive and non-cohesive sediment transport capacities and gradients. Including full morphodynamics, drying and flooding, average and extreme conditions, covering mentioned area between say the landward 4 or 5 meter depth contour and the most seaward 15 to 20 meter depth contour, covering all features in between. An inventory of what’s available is part of the ongoing Resilient by Nature roll-out. Survey Equipment In similarity with the computational modeling potential, adequate survey equipment needs to be available and operational to measure and record for instance the long wave phenomena, which are becoming more and more important and dominant in some areas. Of which the output in itself feeds back into both the expert-systems and knowledge-bases. All together providing better coverage over an area and access to more accurate data for related matters, such as constructability analyses and other operations bound conditions.


An inventory of suitable survey equipment, existing and under development, is part of the ongoing Resilient by Nature roll-out. Innovative Marine Structures Both productlines mentioned, provide the opportunity for design of for instance adequate breakwater solutions and operational port conditions in (bound) long wave and swell dominated areas. For instance by means of broad crested weir type nature shaped breakwaters in sequential or single mode. Conversations with owners are ongoing as part of the Resilient by Nature roll-out. Markets Obvious markets are the US and Asia, with development potential in Europe. Of particular interest are the Small Island Developing States (SIDS’s) because of their urgent needs, the scale of the challenges to meet and equal narrow bandwidth in terms of feasible and sustainable solutions with regard to flood impact protection, safety, socio-economy and resilience. With focus on optimal use of natural systems, including hybrid solutions such as polders, sustainable dikes and levees. While ruling out elements such as shoreline rehabilitation by means of periodic nourishment, simply due to lack of suitable equipment and means on site. The Resilient by Nature approach and toolbox are optimal geared up to provide such solutions. An inventory of appropriate opportunities is part of the Resilient by Nature roll-out and ongoing. Ecosystem development The spread and dissipation of the incoming energy over a wider zone, thus creating calmer water, provides substantial benefits for the development of a much more diverse aquatic ecosystem. An inventory of suitable cases of this kind of added value is part of the ongoing Resilient by Nature roll-out. Path forward As concluded earlier, the Resilient by Nature approach is considered to be a solid, robust and suitable approach with regard to adequate extreme weather impact protection, safety and resilience in a sustainable manner.. The roll-out as described is well underway, on track and open for initiatives too. As part of this ongoing process, business and development opportunities have been identified. Mainly in a support role, with none of them on the critical path to further implementation of the Resilient by Nature approach. Parties which are interested to participate in one or more of these activities are invited to come forward and respond via [email protected]

Resilient by Nature Revisited 26022017

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