Estuaries and Coastal Areas

Natural tidal rivers and coastal waters have been altered over the centuries to meet the needs of ocean-going ships, coastal protection and water management. Projects such as the widening of fairways to seaports in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and improvements to river courses and bank protection structures have impacted water levels, currents, waves and, in particular, sediment transport regimes.

The sustainable management of estuaries requires scientific analysis of the influence exercised by anthropogenic interventions on these characteristic processes and parameters, and evaluation of their implications for the environment and economically efficient maintenance. The data and findings thus obtained are indispensable for advising political institutions, competent waterways and shipping administrations and port operators. They are also needed to ensure that both economic and ecological requirements find their way into the planning of future-proof transportation infrastructure and to prepare independent expert reports. Another important area of study is the impact of global climate change on the German Bight and its estuaries and the development of suitable adaptation strategies.

Detailed information on the sustainable use of the coast and the coastal foreshore can also be found on the website of the German Coastal Engineering Research Council (KFKI). The BAW manages the administrative office and the library of the KFKI. www.kfki.de