| Marker Wadden | |
|---|---|
  Marker Wadden Location in the Markermeer | |
| Location | Municipality of Lelystad, Flevoland, Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 52°35′N 5°23′E / 52.583°N 5.383°E |
1 = prototype
2 = Trintelzand
3 = Marker Wadden
in pale = proposed islands (in 2022).
The Marker Wadden is an artificial archipelago under development in the Markermeer, a lake in the Netherlands. The first island was inaugurated on 24 September 2016.[1] It is a nature reserve alternative to the much bigger proposed Markerwaard polder that was begun in 1941, but paused following World War II and finally canceled in 2003.
Project[edit]
The project was proposed in 2012 by the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten.[2][3][4] The Dutch government, BirdLife Netherlands, ANWB, and VNO-NCW are partners in its development.[citation needed]
Work on the first phase, which is mainly focused on the construction of the first island, started in April 2016,[5] with Boskalis Westminster being awarded the contract.[6]
The main aims of the project are to create breeding grounds, islands, and coast line as well as to improve the water ecology of the Markermeer. The project creates a wetland comparable with the Wadden Sea—hence the name of the project—yet without tides. This is because the Markermeer is not connected to the sea and is in a fresh water environment. The nature reserve is accessible to tourists.[7] There is a ferry service from the city of Lelystad, itself a city built on reclaimed IJsselmeer land.
On 11 May 2016, the first new island was completed, Natuurmonumenten called this a "milestone". In March 2017, it was announced that four other islands should be completed before 2020.[8]
Flora and Fauna[edit]
The islands have been colonized by large numbers of breeding birds. A colony of 200 breeding pairs of pied avocet has made the islands their home, as has a large colony of common tern. Little terns also breed on the islands. Northern shoveler, gadwall, garganey, Mediterranean gull, spoonbill, long-tailed duck and numerous other species of birds have been seen on and around the islands.
Participants[edit]
Contributions: Dutch government €19,000,000.[1]
Controversy[edit]
The ecologist Wouter van Dieren claimed he first had the idea in 1996 and talks about "plagiarism".[9]
Events[edit]
In March 2024 Marker Wadden was the focus of a 50-strong scientific ecological conference investigating aspects of water ecology and coastal science organised by the Netherlands Centre for Coastal Research.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Een nieuw stukje Nederland: de Marker Wadden zijn open
- ^ Marker Wadden Charrette, 2013 The Cultural Ecology of Water in the Netherlands.
- ^ Marker Wadden, droomplan wordt mogelijk - Natuurmonumenten (in Dutch), YouTube. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "VNO-NCW-baas De Boer wil spoed achter project Marker Wadden" (in Dutch), NU.nl, 25 October 2014.
- ^ "Crowdfunding voor aanleg Marker Wadden" (in Dutch), De Stentor, 2016.
- ^ Unique project: nature islands in the Markermeer: Marker Wadden (in Dutch), Vereniging Natuurmonumenten. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ Irwin, Aisling (26 April 2023). "Rewilding the planet: how seven artificial islands could help a dying Dutch lake". Nature. 616 (7958): 644–648. Bibcode:2023Natur.616..644I. doi:10.1038/d41586-023-01370-w. PMID 37100948. S2CID 258314442. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Nieuws over Marker Wadden".
- ^ Hans Marijnissen, "'Plan Marker Wadden is puur plagiaat'" (in Dutch), Trouw, 11 February 2012.
- ^ "Field trip to Marker Wadden kicks off Netherlands Centre for Coastal Research conference". www.un-ihe.org. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
External links[edit]
- Marker Wadden, Natuurmonumenten