Sustainable Sediment Management, an approach based on
identifying different perspectives
Sediments are mainly identified as a problem in The Netherlands, as they block
waterways and are often polluted, so the responsible authorities have problems in
managing them. Because of the institutional implications and the quality demands set
by the Water Framework Directive the management of sediments will be even more
difficult in the near future. Therefore it is desirable to develop a method for
sustainable sediment management, which pays attention to ecological, social and
economic aspects of sediments. The first step to this method is to identify the different
perspectives on sediments, and bringing these perspectives closer together.
Sediment is an essential, integral and dynamic part of river basins, including estuaries
and coastal zones. However, the natural hydrodynamic conditions of many waterways
have been altered: directly by hydraulic constructions, such as dykes, dams, seawalls,
and artificial drainage, and indirectly by changes in land cover and use, such as
deforestation and urbanisation. These changes have resulted in the accumulation of
sediment at unwanted places. The removal of sediments from locks, floodplains,
harbours, navigation channels and river stretches is a high capital cost for authorities
and agencies responsible for their maintenance and water quality.
TNO, as a participant in the European Sediment Research Network (SedNet), has
started an interdisciplinary research project to develop a methodology for sustainable
sediment management. This methodology should enable the responsible authorities
and agencies to overcome the problems that they are faced with. At the basis of this
methodology lies the concept of sustainable development that shows the relation
between social, economic and environmental, as described in the ‘Brundtland Report’.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the sustainable development perspective is that
it stimulates the need to view sediment issues from different angles. It helps to
recognize and understand different viewpoints, enabling a dialogue to be opened
between the different stakeholders concerned. This is needed in order to be able to
start balancing the different interests (i.e. the dynamic way to sustainability).
For this project TNO has analysed two cases to identify and describe the different
perspective that exist on sediments. This was done by interviews and organizing
interactive workshops with stakeholders, in which the perspectives were discussed
and consensus was reached. Based on this analysis we identified three different
perspectives. The next step in the project will be to create a shared basis of knowledge
between the perspectives, and thus creating a bridge so the perspectives can come
together in sustainable sediment management.
 Keywords: interdisciplinary knowledge development, learning processes, policy
making, stakeholder involvement
 Authors: G.J. Ellen, M.Sc., A.F.L. Slob, M.Sc.
 Contact: G.J. (Gerald Jan) Ellen, ellen@stb.tno.nl