STORM Rhine: Development of Simulation Tools for River and Floodplain Management

To develop simulation tools for river and floodplain management, in support of policy debates, to provide insight in the complex river system and to create mutual awareness among stakeholders, river engineers and policy,decision makers.

Solutions for transboundary river problems can effectively be found in debates involving decision makers and stakeholders of several countries.

Because a river has many inter-linked functions, these decisions makers and stakeholders represent a wide variety of interests. A simulation game facilitates such debates.

Simulation games involve participants from different professional backgrounds who each play a certain role and pursue role-specific objectives. These different roles need to interact in order to reach their goals.

Actors that are also engaged with these problems in their day-to-day professions are presented with the possibility to discuss these issues in an unthreatening environment, and in a creative and dynamic approach.

Role-play participants are placed in situations where various alternatives can be creatively developed, explored and experimented, whereby the results of these options are considered for their effectivity.

The performance of options can be compared with the use of socio-economic and natural indicators, such as parameters for flood risks and water quality. While technical reports can often be hard to follow for average non-technologists, gaming makes it possible to present and discuss rather complex issues in an attractive and holistic manner.

Project objectives include:

1. To support the policy debate through:- providing insight into policy evaluations - enhancing recognition of issues and problems - formulation of alternative policies and measures - analysis of policy options and presentation of impacts.
2. To provide insight into the complex river system.
3. To stimulate and promote mutual awareness among stakeholders, river engineers and policy and decision makers.

Project activities included the development of simulation games for river and floodplain management, and research on the applicability of management simulation games in river and floodplain management.

First project (1997-1998) STORM-BETUWE: In this management simulation game a 40 km river stretch with floodplains is regarded. The roles consists of municipalities and a national government.

Second project (1999) STORM-DELTA: The STORM-DELTA is a one-player version of the role-play describing the rivers IJssel, Lek and Waal. Its main objective is to gain insights in the river functions of the Dutch Rhine and IJssel and the measures that can be taken to improve the functions.

Third project (2000-2002) STORM-RHINE: A management simulation game is being developed that considers the planning of the Dutch and German part of the lower River Rhine basin for a time horizon until 2030, taking into account interventions and scenarios at river basin scale. It focuses on the river and its floodplains.

The institutional system in Germany is different from that in the Netherlands and, additionally, the river has different physical characteristics and functions. Therefore, an elaborate systems analysis is being carried out to take this disparities into account.