On March 28th, 1990, the Government of Flanders decided in favour of an integrated environment and nature policy, particularly in favour of an integration of the ecology in the infrastructures. Shortly after this decision, the expression ‘ecotechnical environmental engineering ‘ (Dutch abbr. NTMB - Natuurtechnische Milieubouw) was introduced. These ‘ecotechnics’ intend to create, to develop, to promote, to restore and to maintain the vital conditions of the regional fauna and flora and biocenoses. Ecotechnics are, as civil technics, a way to achieve certain “natural” structures. Environmental engineering wants to create an adequate starting-point in order to let nature develop spontaneously with or without the help of a certain management. For several years, water management was almost completely carried out within the scope of water discharge. During this process, little attention was paid to the other functions (such as ecological functions) of a watercourse. As a result of the many years’ approach of the water management from an engineer’s point of view with a (very) limited ecological education, the modern water manager wil find himself in front of an important challenge. The Water Infrastructure and Marine affairs Administration (AWZ) and the Nature, Environment and Land Development Administration (AMINAL) of the Environment and Infrastructure Department (LIN) of the Ministry of the Flemish Community, which have an important responsability in matters of management of watercourses, want to take up this challenge in order to integrate the conservation of nature in the traditional water management tasks. With this article, we want to check if the policy’s intentions, supported by the LIN-topmanagement, have been implemented on the field. After a general consideration of seven years of NTMB within LIN, some points of view and achievements of the water managers are commented upon. Finally, a glance is cast at a few important future policy options. |
