Projects

The demand for more natural forms of coastal defence is ever-increasing. CASSANDRA responds to this demand and investigates what is still needed to create a living lab where nature-based solutions come together in an integrated way.

Several European partners work together in the project ‘Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in North and Baltic Seas Region’ to develop a European vision for maritime spatial planning. The focus is especially on a sustainable blue economy.

The space available at sea is limited. In order to make optimum use of that space, it is important to combine various activities in the same location. That is called multi-use or multiple use of space. The Horizon 2020 project UNITED is strongly focused on this.

Soft coastal protection measures such as dune, beach or foreshore replenishments present specific challenges in terms of design and maintenance for governments, engineering firms, dredgers and the insurance industry.

This project will develop a toolbox for the assessment and integration of social and spatial risks of multifunctional marine infrastructure. The eventual goal is to maximise the success rate of complex marine infrastructure projects.

In Belgium, man-made islands are considered an element for coastal protection against the rise in sea levels. Making these coastal protection islands multifunctional could make a significant contribution to their financial affordability.