Scheldt Estuary

The Scheldt Estuary is a highly dynamic transboundary estuarine system connecting the North Sea with major European ports such as Antwerp. Over centuries, extensive embankments, dredging and navigation infrastructure have strongly modified its hydromorphology and reduced intertidal habitats. Recent restoration initiatives aim to recover tidal marshes and improve estuarine functioning while maintaining flood protection and navigation.
Within REWRITE, the Scheldt demonstrator investigates how mudflat and tidal marsh restoration, sediment management and ecological connectivity can contribute to restoring ecosystem services such as biodiversity support, carbon storage and coastal resilience.

Historical trajectories

Estuarine morphology: dredging and dumping (access to harbours)
Societal perception of managed re-alignment/depoldering (e.g. Hedwige)
Increased turbidity (Zeeschelde)
Reconciling flood protection (~ sea level rise) and nature values
Pollution

Main objectives

1

Assess ecological responses to tidal marsh restoration and depoldering
2

Improve habitat connectivity within a heavily modified estuarine system
3

Support integrated estuarine management across a transboundary system

Past and current and future restoration actions

Past and current

Delta and Sigma Plan (Scheldt Estuary, Belgium–Netherlands) – Large-scale flood protection and ecosystem restoration programme combining depolderisation and tidal wetland creation, including Hedwige–Prosper polders (~465 ha, completed 2023), Perkpolder (~75 ha, 2015) and Lillo controlled tidal restoration (~10 ha, 2006–2008).
Future

Surface (ha) to be restored/rewilded within and after REWRITE: 885 ha (ISS)

Synergy with other projects LIFE Sparc, MONEOS/OMES, DeltaEnigma and former projects, such as EU FP7 FAST
Future

Contact Person

Main contact

Daphne Van der Wal

Main contact

Koen Sabbe