Martijn F Van Staveren
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BRINGING IN THE FLOODS BRINGING IN THE FLOODS A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON CONTROLLED FLOODING IN THE DUTCH, BANGLADESH AND VIETNAMESE DELTAS Martijn F van Staveren Martijn F van Martijn F van Staveren Propositions 1. Understanding flooding as being harmful obscures thinking about the potential benefits it can bring. (this thesis) 2. Flood management challenges lie in the future, solutions can be found in the past. (this thesis) 3. The need in science to publish unique material invokes academic protectionism. 4. The use of infographics to improve the dissemination and uptake of research findings is compromised by word count 'penalties' and color printing charges as is common practice among scientific journals. 5. Completing a PhD with delay is a proxy of perseverance. 6. Comparing the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Vietnam is like comparing soccer, cricket and table tennis: all ball sports but the number of players, the size of the field, and the rules of the game are different. Propositions belonging to the thesis, entitled ‘Bringing in the floods. A comparative study on controlled flooding in the Dutch, Bangladesh and Vietnamese deltas.’ Martijn Floris van Staveren Wageningen, 8 November 2017 Bringing in the floods A comparative study on controlled flooding in the Dutch, Bangladesh and Vietnamese deltas Martijn F. van Staveren Thesis committee Promotor Prof. Dr J.P.M. van Tatenhove Personal chair at the Environmental Policy Group Wageningen University & Research Co-promotors Dr J.F. Warner Associate professor, Sociology of Development and Change Group Wageningen University & Research Dr P. Wester Chief Scientist Water Resources Management International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Affiliated researcher Water Resources Management Group Wageningen University & Research Other members Prof. Dr F. Ludwig, Wageningen University & Research Dr F.G. Renaud, United Nations University, Bonn, Germany Prof. Dr W.A.H. Thissen, Delft University of Technology Prof. Dr P. van der Zaag, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education This research was conducted under the auspices of the Wageningen School of Social Sciences. Bringing in the floods A comparative study on controlled flooding in the Dutch, Bangladesh and Vietnamese deltas Martijn F. van Staveren Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor at Wageningen University by the authority of the Rector Magnificus, Prof. Dr A.P.J. Mol, in the presence of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public on Wednesday 8 November 2017 at 1:30 p.m. in the Aula. Martijn F. van Staveren Bringing in the floods. A comparative study on controlled flooding in the Dutch, Bangladesh and Vietnamese deltas 174 pages PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands (2017) With references, with summary in English ISBN: 978-94-6343-703-5 DOI: 10.18174/423239 | v Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Opening up flood embankments in complex delta settings ................................................... 9 1.2 Flood control and controlled flooding in deltas .................................................................... 11 1.2.1 The rise of lowering flood embankments: restoring controlled flooding ..................... 11 1.2.2 Flood management in deltas: closing-off approaches challenged ................................ 14 1.2.3 Emergence of “greener” flood management ................................................................ 17 1.2.4 Synthesis: positioning controlled flooding .................................................................... 19 1.3 Delta trajectories to understand systemic delta interaction ................................................ 19 1.3.1 Shaping delta trajectories: kick-off… ............................................................................. 21 … questioning long-term (un)sustainability… ................................................................................ 22 … and stability and change ............................................................................................................ 22 1.4 Research objective and research questions .......................................................................... 24 1.5 Research methodology .......................................................................................................... 25 1.5.1 Approach ....................................................................................................................... 25 1.5.2 Case study analysis in water management ................................................................... 25 1.5.3 Data collection: literature review, interviews and delta tours ..................................... 31 1.5.4 Dissemination of findings .............................................................................................. 33 1.6 Thesis outline......................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 2. Hydraulic engineering in the social-ecological delta: understanding the interplay between social, ecological, and technological systems in the Dutch delta by means of ‘’delta trajectories’’ ................................................................................................................... 37 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 39 2.2 Technology in human-environment conceptualizations ....................................................... 40 2.2.1 Delta-SES........................................................................................................................ 41 2.2.2 Into technology: hydraulical engineering systems in deltas ......................................... 42 2.2.3 Pathways to the future: delta trajectories .................................................................... 43 2.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 45 2.4 Delta trajectories: examples from the Dutch delta ............................................................... 47 2.4.1 Oosterschelde storm surge barrier: pivotal in delta decisions and initiating path dependency ................................................................................................................................... 47 2.4.2 River embankments and impoldering: initiating a technological lock-in ...................... 48 2.4.3 Analysis and discussion: realigning unsustainable delta pathways .............................. 50 2.4.4 Realignment in the Dutch delta ..................................................................................... 51 2.4.5 Realigning trajectories with adaptive delta management ............................................ 52 2.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 53 Chapter 3. Let’s bring in the floods: de-poldering in the Netherlands as a strategy for long- term delta survival? ........................................................................................................ 55 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 57 vi | 3.2 Theoretical background ......................................................................................................... 60 3.3 From impoldering to de-poldering in the Dutch delta .......................................................... 61 3.3.1 Ecological turn in the Southwest Delta ......................................................................... 62 3.3.2 Room for the River programme .................................................................................... 63 3.4 De-poldering in the Noordwaard region ............................................................................... 65 3.4.1 The fifth life of the Noordwaard ................................................................................... 65 3.4.2 Introducing de-poldering in the Biesbosch ................................................................... 66 3.4.3 Non-listing, short-listing and top-listing the Noordwaard ............................................ 68 3.4.4 Adjusting the dikes and bringing in the floods .............................................................. 70 3.4.5 Bring in the floods – bringing in the sediment? ............................................................ 70 3.4.6 Continued de-poldering in the Noordwaard region? .................................................... 71 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 72 Chapter 4. Bringing in the tides. From closing down to opening up delta polders via Tidal River Management in the southwest delta of Bangladesh ............................................... 73 4.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................