The Creek, the Monk and the crescent Moon
The walking sand dunes of the Netherlands
The Dutch sand dunes suffer from biodiversity loss, nitrogen emissions and rising sea levels. In an international leading and innovative cooperating between the government, nature organizations and corporations they started a project called ‘dynamic coastal management’ that kills three birds with ons stone. In dynamic coastal management dunes are allowed to "walk" freely again, natural processes of wind, sand, and sea are restored, promoting biodiversity and enabling dunes to grow with the rising sea levels. Historically, dunes were fixed with marram grass and pine forests to protect the land, but this led to a decline in biodiversity and stopped the natural growth of the dunes. Now, through the creation of "notches" and the removal of pine forests, dunes are allowed to grow and move, helping rare species like the Wheatear and wild orchids thrive. Despite controversy, particularly concerning flooding fears and forest loss, this method appears to be essential for building resilient coastal ecosystems. The long-term benefits, including the restoration of natural habitats and dune growth, may ultimately outweigh the challenges, offering a sustainable response to the changing environment.
Volkskrant Magazine article
The Dutch coastline is dynamic. For centuries, the dunes have been ‘walking’ through the landscape. Since the Netherlands is largely located below sea level the Dutch stopped the sand from shifting to protect the land from the sea. But with fixating the dunes the natural growth of the dunes stopped and a unique eco system disappeared. This is the reason that the dunes are now allowed to ‘walk’ again. An innovative and new approach in which Dutch coastal management is no longer static, but dynamic. Scientists confirm that by allowing natural processes to run free, biodiversity increases and the dunes can grow with rising sea levels.
It was the monks who sought refuge in the dry, high sand dunes more than a thousand years ago. To provide protection against the shifting sand, they built sand dikes that they planted with marram grass. Over the years, the Dutch coastline was planted over with pine forests further fixating the sand dunes.
Although the dunes cover only one percent of the Netherlands, they are home to three quarters of all Dutch plant and bird species. Now, in 2024, the dunes are threatened by rising sea levels, nitrogen and declining biodiversity.
That is why there is a turning point. The dunes need to start walking again: by allowing natural processes to run free, biodiversity increases, scientists confirm. Creeks, notches and drifting dunes are once again becoming part of the coastal landscape. This gives rare species such as the sand lizard, the dune violet and the marsh helleborine orchid a chance.
And strangely enough, allowing natural processes to run free, also helps us to better protect the low-lying Netherlands. That is why openings are being made at places along the coastal strip: the sand blows from the beach into the dunes growing with the rising sea level.
To realize this photo series, I walked along the Dutch coast for a year, from Zeeland to the Wadden. I photographed the first cautious steps of the moving dunes and saw how the Dutch are learning to trust the interaction between the wind, the sea and the sand.
National Geographic Magazine article
