Report Improving estuary governance Comparison of the governance of the Elbe, Scheldt and Humber regarding estuary management May 20, 2020 Report Improving estuary governance May 20, 2020 Projectnummer YD1905 Client Interreg North Sea Region IMMERSE Hamburg Port Authority Authors Dr. ir. Linde van Bets, dr. Ytsen Deelstra, dr. ir. Maartje van Lieshout, dr. Ir. Marcel Taal, drs. Jens Enemark, prof. dr. Lasse Gerrits Corresponding Author: Dr. Ytsen Deelstra
[email protected] Wing Hollandseweg 7e 6706KN Wageningen Project team Deltares, Enemark Consulting, University of Bamberg, Wing ''This study was supported as part of the IMMERSE project- Implementing Measures for Sustainable Estuaries, an Interreg project supported by the North Sea Programme of the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union.'' Cover photo: Elbe downstream of the City of Hamburg, Copyright Hamburg Port Authority Improving estuary governance ■ May 20, 2020 ■ Wing 2 Management Summary Context and goal Together with the partners of the European INTERREG Project IMMERSE (IMplementing Measures for Sustainable Estuaries), Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) is working towards sustainable management of estuaries in the North Sea Region. Governance structures and processes are among other aspects important factors that influence estuary management and the implementation of measures. This study focusses on the comparison of the Elbe, Scheldt and Humber estuaries and on what lessons can be learned from this comparison. At the Elbe estuary, mistrust and different interests across various actors prevent that coordinated action amongst the actors grows towards a more sustainable management of the estuary. As one of the actors, HPA has a strong interest to investigate how the governance of the Elbe can be improved.