
Rhine Corridor
The Rhine has two sources. Firstly, glaciers in the high mountains. Secondly, rain that slowly gathers through the soil and marshes into streams and eventually feeds the river. Both sources are under pressure. Due to climate change, temperatures are higher and glaciers are shrinking. The greenhouse effect also affects rainfall. Additionally, the mid-mountains are heavily drained, which means the soil can hold water for less time. The result of these processes is more dangerous high waters in winter and more severe droughts in summer.
Securing the Rhine
The Rhine Corridor is an initiative aimed at securing and strengthening the hydrological, ecological, economic, and social importance of the Rhine in the future. The central focus is the restoration of natural processes. To promote restoration, new, strong, and sustainable connections between the river, people, and economies must be forged. The Rhine Corridor focuses on the entire Rhine basin, from the source to the mouth.
Good for the economy
The Rhine Corridor demonstrates that the restoration of natural processes is also very sensible from an economic standpoint. It may turn out to be a more expensive and less structural solution to build more dikes in the Netherlands instead of restoring the sponge function of soils in the mid-mountains. An additional positive effect is that a restored sponge function also provides more water during dry periods. This is crucial at a time when drier periods in summer are increasing. Other Rhine Corridor 'business pilots', where the restoration of natural processes and the economy reinforce each other, include forestry, natural cooling and air filtering in cities, raw material extraction, and recreation.
International cooperation
The Rhine Corridor is an initiative of the following organizations: the Coalition for Natural Climate Buffers (especially Natuurmonumenten, SBB, and WNF), the Institute for Geography and Geoecology (Department WWF-Institute for Floodplain Ecology), the Platform Biodiversity Ecosystems and Economy, BUND AG Rhein/Rheinland-Pfalz, Aqua Viva – Rheinaubund, and WWF Switzerland.