Arcadis to lead consortium on development coastal protection master plan for Colombia
A Dutch-Colombian consortium, led by consultancy firm Arcadis, will advise the Ministry of environment and sustainable development (MADS) in Colombia on the development of a master plan for the protection of the Colombian coast.
The consortium will closely work with Colombian stakeholders to reach a consensus analysis, a vision and measures to combat coastal erosion. Also part of the project are the identification of three pilot sites, an institutional analysis and capacity building.
The other consortium partners are Royal HaskoningDHV, Deltares, Unesco-IHE, Universidad del Norte, Fundación Herencia Ambiental y Caribe Aqua and Terra.
The project is scheduled to be completed in one and a half year and has a contract value 1.3 million euro.
Measures to mitigate erosion as identified by research institutes Invemar (Colombia) and Deltares (the Netherlands) in 2012.
Integrated long-term vision
The main goal of the project is to formulate a long-term vision for the development of the Colombian coast that is climate proof, integrated, supported by stakeholders and durable.
Key guiding elements are Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Building with Nature.
Colombia - with the Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADS) in the lead - recognizes that an integrated approach to coastal zone and, where possible, measures in accordance with Building with Nature principle, is preferable.
Potential measures to mitigate coastal erosion with natural solutions include the restoration of natural sedimentation, rehabiliation of mangrove forests and development of coral reefs.
Increasing coastal erosion
The 2900 km long Colombian coast is facing serious erosion problems that threatens many coastal activities, such as housing, tourism and recreation, nature, port activities and infrastructure.
Coastal erosion is not a new phenomenon, but in recent decades it increased significantly. Measures - mostly hard structures - to prevent erosion, have been applied but have been only moderately successful.
Equal financial contribution
The development of the master plan will be financed with an equal contribution by MADS and The Netherlands. The Dutch part comes from the Transition Facility Programme (TF), a program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In close collaboration with Dutch national public works authority Rijkswaterstaat, the National Office of Entrepreneurial Netherlands has prepared the project last year and tailored it to meet the needs of the Colombian ministry.
This news item was originally published on the website of Arcadis Nederland (in Dutch only).
Read also on this website
● Dutch government sends flood protection experts to landslide hit area in Colombia, 26 May 2015
● Colombian-Dutch Dialogues looks for options to stop erosion on RN90 motorway, Colombia, 1 December 2014
● Arcadis leads Dutch consortium to develop water management master plan for Cauca river, Colombia, 23 February 2014
● Royal HaskoningDHV wins major flood control contract for Canal del Dique, Colombia, 6 August 2013
● Project: Innovative flood control solution safeguards Colombia
● Country: Colombia
More information
Arcadis Nederland
Arnhem, the Netherlands
+31 26 3778 911
www.arcadis.nl