In the winter issue of IADC’s scientific journal Terra et Aqua, an interesting article was published about the development of the Smartsediment Ecosystem Services QGIS tool.
As reported, this tool enables users to make a first numerical evaluation of the impact of sediment management on ecosystem services in an estuary.
Managing sediments, especially from dredging, is important for the management of estuaries and coastal areas.
When implemented in the right way, a sediment management strategy can be qualified as a nature-based solution as it uses the physical processes of erosion and sedimentation to create added value.
There is a need for an evaluation of sediment strategies and the habitats that are created for a wider range of objectives than only biodiversity and nature conservation. The concept of ecosystem services provides this broader framework.
Read more to find out how the Smartsediment tool can be used to investigate how different sediment strategies affect a range of ecosystem services in both the short and long term in a fairly simple way and with a limited data set.