Integrating vegetated foreshores

Overview

Foreshore environments improve dike resilience and enhance flood defenses by dampening wave forces with their shallow slopes, stabilizing the dike with additional mass and increasing seepage length. Vegetation on the foreshore further contributes to wave attenuation and stabilization while creating a range of distinct vegetation zones, which support new habitats and opportunities for recreation. In silty environments, foreshores trap sediments and help soil formation, which enables sea level rise adaptation. Foreshores require space and their construction does require large-scale earthworks, which must align with local hydrodynamics for long-term feasibility.