Outcome
The output involves assessment of the changes to the bifurcation region morphology and its water partitioning under different future scenarios of climate change and engineering interventions and mitigation strategies for unwanted cases. Future river management can be benefitted from the assessment and strategies.
Navigation through the Rhine (Köln) (top), drought in agricultural lands due to lack of fresh water (lower left), flood event of 1995 (lower right)
Motivation and Practical Challenge
Water and sediment distributed at the Pannerdense Kop and IJsselkop bifurcations greatly influence the navigation, flood safety, and freshwater supply in the Netherlands. Due to the expected changes in the discharge, sediment flux, and sea level in the future due to climate change, we expect a morphological adjustment in the river system and the bifurcation region. Any such adjustment would significantly affect the partitioning of water and sediment. However, the nature of the bifurcation region adjustment is still unclear. Moreover, engineering interventions dominate the Rhine river system, and we also want to know their future influence on the bifurcation region. Therefore, in this project, we aim to address the development of the Upper Dutch Rhine bifurcation region under climate change and anthropogenic interventions in future scenarios.
Research Challenge
How will the bifurcation region respond to climate change and anthropogenic interventions in future scenarios?
Innovative Components
The first component of our approach is assessing the bifurcation region response. This component has two parts: 1. assessment of the bifurcation region development in the last century, and 2. assessment of the response in the future. First, we assess the previous development in the region by analyzing available hydraulic and morphological data collected over the last century, such as bed level, surface grain size, water level, and water discharge. Second, we work on a model for the future assessment part. We use the first analyzed data to calibrate and validate the model. We will base our future hydrograph and sea-level scenarios based on the predictions by IPCC and KNMI. In addition, we will also simulate scenarios involving planned engineering interventions based on discussion with the stakeholders. The project’s second component involves formulating mitigation strategies for unwanted responses of the bifurcation region. Based on our assessment in the first component, we will identify unwanted scenarios and test different mitigation strategies in this part.
Relevant for whom and where?
- River managers and policymakers
- For managing the bifurcation region and before implementing a new intervention in the bifurcation region.
Findings and Practical Application
Will be filled with content when project ends
Status for Day to Day Practice
The morphological response at the bifurcation region should be carefully considered before implementing any new interventions close to the bifurcations.
Next Steps
There is insufficient sediment transport data available at the bifurcation region that hampers proper validation of models. We currently base our work on old data collected two decades ago. This can be improved by more frequent sediment transport measurements.
Last modified: 20/12/2022
Contributing researchers
Mohammad Kifayath Chowdhury
TU Delft
Project outputs
Developing a Model to Study the Climate Change Impact on River Bifurcations in Engineered Rivers
Semicentennial Response of a Bifurcation Region in an Engineered River to Peak Flows and Human Interventions
Flow Structure at the Pannerdense Kop Bifurcation
Flow structure provides useful information regarding these by detailing the threedimensional features of flow. This abstract mainly focuses on some of the observations from the ADCP surveys performed between November 2019 and February 2020 at the Pannerdense Kop
11/02/2021 by Mohammad Kifayath Chowdhury
Bevat: Abstract
Poster "Channel Bed Erosion Characteristics at the Upper Dutch Rhine Bifurcation Region"
Channel Bed Erosion Characteristics in the Upper Dutch Rhine Bifurcation Region
This abstract focuses on the local channel bed erosion characteristics at the Upper Dutch Rhine bifurcation area. The knowledge can be used to signal trends in the partitioning of water and sediment and prepare mitigation measures to maintain a safe situation.
13/04/2022 by Mohammad Kifayath Chowdhury
Bevat: Abstract
- Chowdhury, M. K., Blom, A., & Schielen, R. M. J. (2021a). Bifurcation Morphodynamics in an Engineered River. River, Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics (RCEM) Meeting, Delft University of Technology (Online).
- Chowdhury, M. K., Blom, A., & Schielen, R. M. J. (2021b). Flow Structure at the Pannerdense Kop Bifurcation. Rivers in an uncertain future. NCR Days 2021: Rivers in an uncertain future, University of Twente, The Netherlands (Online).
- Chowdhury, M. K., Blom, A., Ylla Arbos, C., Verbeek, M. C., Schropp, M. H. I., & Schielen, R. M. J. (2022). Channel Bed Erosion Characteristics in the Upper Dutch Rhine Bifurcation Region. NCR DAYS 2022: Anthropogenic Rivers, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
News
"We want to make the system naturally robust and climateproof."
08/08/2023 by dr. Ralph Schielen
Ralph Schielen (Rijkswaterstaat) initiated Rivers2Morrow within Rijkswaterstaat about five years ago. In the field of management and policy of the Dutch rivers there were...
