River landscape renewal

Abstract

When we talk about rivers, we mean the watercourses that we see on the surface of the earth. But rivers themselves are only the backbone and one dynamic element of the river landscape. The river landscape is the space created by a river by the constant and long-term concentrated draining of water from the surrounding territory. Throughout history, humans severely changed the river landscape and adapted it to their needs. This has affected the entire landscape´s ability to retain water, resulting in a lack of water and the inability of the river landscape to cope with floods. In recent years, intensive construction in flood zones has caused more material damage and even loss of human life.

It is clear that the current system of river landscape management is not working adequately. The river landscape should be reconstructed and its important functions restored as the basic hydrological system of the entire landscape is at risk. Presently the landscape is unable to adequately respond to climate change. To retain water in the landscape, it is necessary to initiate the fundamental reconstruction of the river landscape system to reduce water runoff from agricultural, forest, and residential landscapes. The way to ensure change and to improve the landscape is to employ comprehensive landscape planning and ensure management of the landscape as a whole.

The river landscape is an element of fundamental and large-scale natural infrastructure. It is the result of long-term geological, pedological, hydrological and climatic processes. It is a shared common space for water, biodiversity and open space for people. In the near future, it should become a key nature-friendly area creating and fostering biodiversity. Landscape planning allows us to define landscape infrastructure as a public good. Functional infrastructure has a key stabilizing effect on the landscape and on the overall quality of our lives.

If we return the river landscape to a natural form (at least partially), we will reduce the risk of major flood damage. The river landscape can also be an open space for people (flood river parks) and an ecologic continuum. Moreover, it is a biodiversity supporting habitat. Let us grant the river landscape its rights and return it to as close to a natural state as possible. In this way it can support functions to stabilize water in the landscape, as well as promoting biodiversity and becoming an open space for people.