by Freek van der Pluijm, Kirsten Kuipers, Toine Smits
At 1,320 km in length (820 miles), the Rhine is a modest river by global standards.  But from an economic standpoint, it is one of the most important in the world, as it serves as a gateway to five of the most prosperous countries in Northern Europe.  Each year, ships log 185,000 trips traveling to and from Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Duisburg (Germany) the largest seaport and inland ports of Europe, respectively.  

The Province of Gelderland in The Netherlands sits at the river’s delta at the North Sea and its government has become concerned about the long-term sustainability of the region in the wake of widespread flooding and disruptions in the area.  After years of trying short-term technical interventions to “fix” this problem, there is now an awareness that traditional approaches are out of date, and that land use, river management and flood protection strategies should focus more on long-term interventions. This has triggered a series of international debates, developments of innovative techniques, participation and decision-making processes, as well as an engagement with the Real Change Programme, a research initiative co-lead by The Natural Step. 
 
Through Real Change, the Province has partnered with the Department for Sustainable Management of Resources at Radboud University Nijmegen to facilitate action research focusing on sustainable development of the Rhine delta region.  The team at Radboud University Nijmegen is introducing TNS concepts and methodologies to the civil servants of 15 communities along the Rhine-Waal river sections and leading visioning sessions with “Community of Practice” groups.  They will be incorporating this learning into 48 land use projects by building upon existing flood protection strategies and then studying how to best apply alternative land use, ecological rehabilitation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions techniques to further the development of a sustainable regional economy.
 
River deltas are the some most densely populated areas in the world. The abundance of fertile grounds, wildlife and fresh water, and sea trade lead to their early settlement, and the Rhine delta is no exception. It is still a densely populated area of culture and art, and the competing interests of People, Planet and Profit makes the challenge of implementing sustainable development practices even more challenging, and we look forward to sharing our successes and challenges with the Real Change network soon.