Restoring river and floodplain functions in the Gelderse Poort

Exploring the socio-economic implications of freshwater ecosystem restoration and the interactions between ecological objectives, land use and wider economic impacts.

At a glance

Gelderse Poort, the NetherlandsLocation

NetherlandsCountry / region

Freshwater / river and floodplainEcosystem

PlannedStatus

Public authorities, water managers, local stakeholders, researchers and environmental organisationsKey stakeholders

Riverbed subsidence, drying floodplains, fragmented habitats, water quality pressures and climate changeRestoration context

Understanding the socio-economic benefits, costs and trade-offs of restoring river and floodplain functionsNatuRISE focus

The context

What is happening here?

The Gelderse Poort is a dynamic river and floodplain landscape where ecological processes, water management, land use and human activities are closely connected. Changes in river dynamics, climate pressures and land-use patterns are affecting the condition and functioning of floodplain ecosystems.

Restoration can help strengthen biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate resilience, but decisions about where and how to restore also need to consider economic costs, land-use interests and impacts on different stakeholders.

Author: Virje Universitet Amsterdam NL

The restoration challenge

The challenge is to identify restoration options that can improve ecological and ecosystem functions while accounting for their wider socio-economic consequences. NatuRISE will explore how restoration measures can respond to pressures such as:

riverbed subsidence and changing river dynamics;
drying and degradation of floodplains;
fragmented habitats;
water quality pressures;
increasing climate-related pressures;
competing uses and values of river and floodplain areas.

The focus is therefore not only whether restoration is beneficial, but which measures generate the greatest benefits, for whom, where and over what time horizon.

Who is involved?

Public authorities and water managers
Provide knowledge of river management, policy priorities, implementation constraints and available data.

Local and regional stakeholders
Bring perspectives on land use, livelihoods, ecosystem services and practical feasibility.

Environmental organisations
Contribute ecological knowledge and perspectives on biodiversity and restoration.

Researchers
Develop and apply integrated approaches for assessing ecological and socio-economic impacts.

What will NatuRISE explore?

The questions this case study will answer

What benefits could different river and floodplain restoration measures generate?
What costs and trade-offs could arise?
How could restoration affect ecosystem services such as water regulation, biodiversity and recreation?
How might impacts vary across locations and stakeholder groups?
How could climate change influence restoration outcomes over time?
What evidence is needed to compare restoration options?

How will we work together?

NatuRISE will work with stakeholders through a Listen → Define → Assess → Test → Refine process.

Stakeholder knowledge will help define relevant restoration questions and indicators. Model-based assessments will then explore potential impacts, with results discussed and refined together to improve their relevance for real-world decision-making.

What will the case study contribute?

The Gelderse Poort case study will provide a real-world context in which NatuRISE methods and models can be applied, tested and refined for freshwater and floodplain restoration.

From case study to action

The NatuRISE case studies connect scientific evidence with real-world restoration decisions. Through collaboration with stakeholders, each case study will help test and refine methods for understanding the benefits, costs, trade-offs and distributional effects of nature restoration. As the project progresses, this page will evolve from a description of the context into a gateway to the evidence generated through the case study.