Better decisions for ecology and biodiversity with D-Eco Impact tool
Expert(s) |
Marc Weeber
The global decline in biodiversity has severe consequences for our ecosystem, where everything is interconnected. For example, the loss of species threatens crop pollination, degrades water, soil, and air quality, and reduces our resilience to climate change. While awareness is increasing, ecology is often overlooked in projects such as dike reinforcement, area development, or infrastructure construction. Deltares developed the D-Eco Impact Tool to quickly and clearly map the ecological impacts of projects.
Ecological obligations
Rijkswaterstaat, water authorities, municipalities, and provinces face significant ecological obligations and guidelines, such as the Kaderrichtlijn Water (KRW), to improve nature and water quality. Internationally, there is also growing attention to maintaining good water quality and ecology. However, there is not always sufficient capacity, time, or expertise to adequately address ecological aspects. Calculating ecological impact, a crucial part of sustainable decision-making, is often constrained by limited time and budgets.
Additionally, there are various methods for calculating ecology, which are not always interchangeable or consistently repeatable. The D-Eco Impact Tool offers a solution by assessing measures and project alternatives for their impact on biodiversity, water, soil, and air quality. This leads to better-informed and more sustainable decisions, with specific focus on the calculation of ecological impacts.
D-Eco Impact Tool makes ecology tangible
Marc Weeber, researcher and advisor for Water Quality & Ecology at Deltares, and his team developed the D-Eco Impact Tool to calculate ecological impacts more quickly and to find future-focused solutions. "Otherwise, we risk missing the ecological turn,"
Marc explains. "The tool enables us to consider multiple scenarios, for instance, in a harbour expansion project, before irreversible effects harm the wellbeing of species. The challenge lies in making this clear: what does it mean if you solve these issues? When you talk to ecologists, they often discuss gradients and good ecological quality, but these concepts can be hard for engineers to grasp. Engineers prefer numbers, while ecologists often rely on intuition and experience. I aim to bridge these two worlds and help make ecology more tangible in this way. By translating ecological concepts and data into concrete figures and visual models, we make the ecological impact clearer. This enables technicians to make the right choices that are both technically feasible and ecologically responsible."
D-Eco Impact shows you where to steer for ecology. It becomes clearer with this tool what effect your decisions will have on the natural environment.
Marc Weeber, Product Owner Water Quality and Ecology at Deltares
Better decisions
D-Eco Impact can be used for impact studies relevant to resilient and healthy water systems for both people and nature. It provides valuable insights for comparing future scenarios, assessing the suitability of habitats for plants and animals, and understanding how environmental conditions influence which species are present in an ecosystem.
Marc: "D-Eco Impact is flexibly designed so that knowledge and data can easily be added and linked to results. That makes this tool fast, results-oriented and innovative. We tested it with partners who all use different models. We can now determine ecological impacts from different models using the same consistent method."
"As a result, you learn to speak each other's language, and this makes the developed knowledge exchangeable. Like in the REST-COAST project where multiple models were used to make one ecological analysis. Offering an overall view in one go, that is the innovation. With D-Eco Impact, we can offer support to modelers, ecologists and translate this to the client."
Social impact
"The tool was developed two years ago, and we are seeing more and more social impact." Marc indicates. We are working with REST-COAST and Wageningen University, among others. Petya Eftimova, a researcher in Coastal Dynamics, explains how the tool is being used. “We are using the D-Eco Impact Tool in the REST-COAST project, specifically in the pilot study at Foros Bay, a nature reserve on the western coast of the Black Sea. There, we are applying it to restore a species of seagrass, and we are also evaluating the potential effects of scaling up this measure using model studies that account for storm impacts."
"The D-Eco Impact Tool is used to calculate the maximum flood extent, average flow velocities, and wave attenuation levels to assess the effects of seagrass restoration. Additionally, the tool is employed to predict shifts in ecotopes - specific habitats characterised by unique natural conditions such as soil, water, and existing flora and fauna - due to sea level rise caused by climate change."
In addition to ecological studies, we also see potential for the D-Eco Impact Tool to analyse physical parameters such as flow velocities, salinity, and turbidity.
Petya Eftimova, Oceanographer and researcher in Coastal Dynamics, involved in REST-COAST
Applications and future possibilities
“With D-Eco Impact, we’re making significant strides in visualising ecological effects,” says Marc. “The tool is applied in various ways and offers ample opportunities for future developments. A number of examples highlight the versatility and value of this innovation.”
- The tool is being integrated into the REACT-Tool, specifically developed for river basins, to calculate ecological impacts on biodiversity and habitats.
- In the Virtual Climate Lab op Terschelling, the tool is used to analyse the effect of groundwater on dunes, agriculture, and breeding birds. Additionally, it examines how changes in the landscape influence recreational activities, such as the impact of water on campsites.
- At the European EDITO-Model Lab, researchers are exploring whether the tool can be integrated into a Digital Twin of the oceans. This integration would enable suitability assessments for species under various scenarios and help address questions such as when the North Sea might become unsuitable for seagrass.
- Discussions are ongoing with Rijkswaterstaat to position the tool as the standard method for calculating ecological changes in the marine landscape.
- In research led by Sportvisserij Nederland and Wageningen University, the D-Eco Impact Tool has been used to assess the feasibility of reintroducing the sturgeon to the Rhine. More information on using D-Eco Impact to restore the natural habitats of sturgeons can be found in this scientific publication: Assessing Potential Spawning and Nursery Habitat Availability in the River Rhine for the Critically Endangered European Sturgeon.
More sustainable deltas in the future
By making ecology explicit in projects such as dike reinforcements, area developments, and infrastructure construction, it becomes clear where the challenges lie. "With D-Eco Impact, we can analyse more quickly, explore solutions, and engage in discussions about the future design of our deltas,"
Marc explains. "It’s essential to bring the expected ecological effects to the table early so they can play a role in balancing interests. Thanks to D-Eco Impact, ecological objectives become concrete and measurable, leading to clear insights and better decision-making for ecology and biodiversity. We hope this tool will become a standard feature in projects, making a valuable contribution to more sustainable deltas in the future."
