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Measures and management challenges  

The restoration of bank structures, the reconnection of floodplains or backwaters (such as oxbows and side channels) and the restoration of wetlands are key measures applied in river basin management planning to restore lateral connectivity between rivers, their riparian area and the wider floodplain (EEA, 2018). For example, in the international Rhine basin, about 125 km² of floodplains were reactivated by 2012 with a target of more than 150 km² by 2020. In addition, measures were taken to increase the structural diversity of approximately 100 km of river banks by 2012 with a target of 800 km of banks by 2020 (ICPR, 2015). With increasing awareness on the importance of floodplains, the numbers of examples of restoration measures or works aiming to improve river-floodplain systems' functioning are rising (EEA, 2019).

The improvement of lateral connectivity between rivers and their floodplains is a key element for the achievement of the environmental objectives of the WFD. Especially multi-benefit measures which support the achievement of environmental requirements of various environmental policy instruments beyond the WFD, such as the Floods Directive, Birds and Habitats Directives and the Nitrates Directive are particularly relevant to the restoration of disconnected wetlands and floodplains. For example, buffer strips can be beneficial for reducing pollution (included in the Nitrates Directive and the good agricultural and environmental conditions of CAP cross-compliance), for improving riparian habitats, reducing hydromorphological pressures as well as increasing water retention and mitigating the impacts of floods.

River restoration measures aiming to give more room to rivers are also important for floodplain restoration as well as for the prevention of flood disasters. A targeted ‘Room for the River’ Programme was established in the Netherlands, consisting of over 30 projects that were completed at the end of 2018. The key of the Room for the River approach is to restore the river’s natural floodplain in places where it is least harmful to protect those areas that need to be defended from floods.[8]

It is difficult to predict how exactly pressures on European floodplains and lateral connectivity of rivers may develop in the future. Climate change though, in particular in northern Europe, is bound to lead to increased precipitation and flood events. In its turn, this may require further mitigation measures linked to flood defences as well as increased drainage leading to increased pressures on floodplains and lateral connectivity (EEA, forthcoming).[9] At the same time, European targets of the new Biodiversity Strategy need to be met, whereby the restoration of floodplains and wetlands is mentioned as a means for restoring at least 25 000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030 (EC, 2020).

Despite the obvious importance of floodplain restoration, it has not been systematically included in river basin or flood risk management plans yet. For developing more strategic approaches to floodplain restoration in the future, it will be important to develop a more coherent knowledge base on floodplains and a more targeted approach towards financing this type of restoration (EEA, 2019).

[8] https://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/room-for-the-river-programme

[9] EEA, forthcoming, Water and Agriculture report.