The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometer-long dike in the Netherlands, connecting the provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and separating the Wadden Sea from the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel). In recent years, this dike has been heightened and given a new top layer. Several nature-based solutions have been incorporated into this project, aiming to increase the ecological value of this large infrastructural water safety project. The focus lies on two main topics. Firstly, monitoring and evaluating the construction of an ecological dike. Secondly, observing the effects of placing an ecotop layer on the asphalt layer of a smaller dam nearby, with the intention of attracting back a colony of spoonbills.
