Despite the strong gusts of wind from storms Austen and Boelo, which caused significant sand drift along the coast, the sand nuisance at the location of the dune in front of the dike in Raversijde was considerably less than in other areas along the coastal road between Oostende and Middelkerke. There, a lot of sand ended up on the roadway and tram tracks, disrupting traffic.
This nature-based solution, where dunes capture blowing sand at its source, reduces sand nuisance and simultaneously creates a natural buffer contributing to coastal protection. Previous monitoring already confirmed that the dunes are growing and functioning as sand traps.
The results are promising, and there is an investigation into the possibility of scaling up the pilot project in Raversijde to a structural application over a longer coastal stretch towards Middelkerke.
The dune in front of the dike is part of Living Lab Raversijde, a research project by MDK in collaboration with the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and the Flanders Hydraulics Research (WL).
