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ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
2022
Managed realignment
Belgium
Scheldt estuary
4.2301226
51.334205
Mudflat
Reedbed
Saltmarsh
165 Hectares
Biodiversity Enhancement
Climate Change (Sea Level Rise) Mitigation
Flood Risk Management
Habitat Creation
Improve Flood Protection
Improve Water Quality
Provide Fish Habitat
The Prosperpolder site, on the Western Scheldt, was an area of land that had been claimed from the sea (called a ‘polder’ in the Netherlands) in from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries.
The sea defences at this locations were realigned (also referred to as ‘de-embanked’, or ‘depoldering’) and a new inland dike constructed. Tidal waters were then reintroduced to the site in October 2022.
The Prosperpolder lies right along the Hedwigepolder on the Dutch side. These two areas were designed to be implemented and function together. Together they are referred to as the Hedwige-Prosper polders project and have restored a combined areas of 465 ha intertidal habitats
In the years after its creation the combined Hedwige-Prosper was an open expanse of ecologically valuable mudflat habitat. This project was undertaken as part of the Belgian Sigma Plan which is designed to protect the Scheldt Valley in Flanders from flooding. It was also carried out to improve the Western Scheldt and compensate for any damage to the environment arising from deepening the estuary to allow larger vessels to access Antwerp
It will be valuable to understand how this site evolves over the coming years
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ