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ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
2022
Managed realignment
Netherlands
Scheldt Estuary
4.2075062
51.341229
Mudflat
300 Hectares
Biodiversity Enhancement
Compensation
Habitat Enhancement
Improve Flood Protection
Provide a Recreational Facility
The Hedwigepolder, on the Western Scheldt, was an area of land that had been claimed from the sea (called a ‘polder’ in the Netherlands) in 1907. That made it one of the most recently claimed areas of land in the Zeeland province and was only reclaimed.
The sea defence embankment at this location 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 Hedwigepolder lies right along the Prosperpolder on the Belgian 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 make a combined areas of 465 ha intertidal habitats.
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.
In the years after its creation the Hedwige-Prosper site was an open expanse of ecologically valuable mudflat habitat. It will be valuable to understand how this site evolves over the coming years
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ