Rivers are vital to the economy, ecology and quality of life. However, an increase in shipping and recreation creates new challenges in river areas. The EU project Connected River is developing the Flow Forward method to address such challenges.
At the beginning of October, the consortium partners met in Antwerp to share interim results. The method appears to be promising. Therefore, it has already been decided to prepare a follow-up to Connected River.
Since 2022, 13 partner organizations from 6 countries have been working together on the development of the Flow Forward method in the Connected River project. The project is co-funded by the EU's Interreg North Sea programme.
Rivers under pressure
River areas are attracting more and more users. Not only is shipping growing intensively, but also housing along the waterfront, which leads to more recreation. Furthermore, many waterways have a function for drinking water and nature. The convergence of these different functions leads to new challenges that require an innovative, agile approach.
Promising new approach
The agile Flow Forward method focuses on finding new solutions for safe and shared use of waterways and waterfronts. Characteristic of the method is the involvement of water users from an early stage. This creates a better understanding of the shared use, which contributes to a solid foundation for new ideas. This leads to faster solutions for a new balance on and around the water.
Find out more about "Flow-Forward" >>
Flow Forward is currently being experimented within 6 Pilot Areas: Amsterdam (NL), Hamburg (DE), Kleine Nete (BE), Lille (FR), Nijmegen (NL) and Vordingborg (DK).
Be like water
'Rules and technology are not the core of this method. It is about dialogue with the users. Then you have to be adaptive and agile, just like water,' says Benno Bultink of Rijkswaterstaat, initiator and Project Lead of Connected River. Connected River's motto is: Be like water.
Decision to prepare a follow-up
The project will run until 2026. At the meeting in Antwerp, the partner organizations were very positive about the interim results. Therefore, the steering group of the project has decided to start preparing a follow-up to Connected River.
Mid-term Event at the Port House Antwerp
Statement steering group Connected River
Promising approach for safe and shared waterways
Waterways and waterfronts are vital for the economy, ecology and quality of life of the EU North Sea region. This multiple use leads to conflicting use, accidents and pollution. In 2022 the EU Interreg North Sea project Connected River started to develop and test a new approach to overcome these problems.
At the midterm event October 2024 in Antwerp the Steering Group Connected River expressed their appreciation for results so far. Flow Forward, developed and tested in 6 European pilots, shows to be a promising approach to identify new and better supported (user-centric) ideas for safe and shared waterways and waterfronts. Therefore the Steering Group decided to develop a strategic perspective:
- short term: continue the Connected River project with focus on scaling promising experiments with synergies;
- medium term: disseminate and refine the Flow Forward approach and experiences within the partner organizations and their networks to address diverse challenges on and around water (roadmap);
- long term: Start preparing a Connected River follow-up. For providing multiple water values to users in a balanced way, with complementary pilot areas and partners to apply and enrich the approach for broader take up in a transnational ecosystem.
Source: Rijkswaterstaat