Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)

The Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme


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The authors are solely responsible for the content of this report. Material included herein does not represent the opinion of the European Community, and the European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of it.
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Lippenbroek: Flood Control Area with Controlled Reduced Tide (FCA-CRT)

Impact on ecosystem services

Step 1: Involved habitats
The measure Lippenbroek in the freshwater zone of the Scheldt estuary was about the creation of intertidal habitat by transforming adjacent land into mainly marshland with a high change in the habitat quality (Figure 21).
Before the CRT construction, Lippenbroek was an agricultural field (mainly maize and potatoes) with also small area of poplar planting and salix wood.
After construction an intertidal ecosystem with marsh and intertidal flat habitat developed. The share of marsh habitat increased in the years after the construction. In autumn 2009 around 80% of the area was covered by marsh habitat (based on (Maris et al. 2008b)). The other 20% was intertidal flat habitat and shallow water (channels and creeks).



Step 2: Expected impact on ecosystem services, compared with targeted ecosystem services, and expected impact on beneficiaries

More information about the methodology and the correct interpretation of the results could be found in the overall measures report (Saathoff et al. 2013).

(1) Overall expected impact on ES:
From the ES assessment it is concluded that this measure generates overall a positive expected impact for many ES, mainly for “biodiversity”, cultural service (Aesthetic information), and some regulating services (Erosion and sedimentation regulation (by water bodies); Water quality regulation: reduction of excess loads coming from the catchment; Climate regulation: Carbon sequestration and burial; Regulation extreme events or disturbance: Flood water storage).
Because the site is not directly linked with the estuary (sluice in between), some ES are not relevant such as Wave reduction and Water current reduction (indicated between brackets).

(2) Expected impact on targeted ES
The expected impact for the three development targets (“biodiversity”, “Regulation extreme events: flood water storage” and “Information for cognitive development”) is positive to very positive.

(3) Expected impact on beneficiaries
The expected impact for the different beneficiary groups is overall positive, with a very positive expected impact for future use and for local use.


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Important to know

Reports / Measures / Tools

Report: Management measures analysis and comparison