Changing Course: Water Management in the Demer Valley, 1950s–1990s

Transformations in river management that manifest diverse forms of (increased) human interference, evidenced by hydraulic ingenuity and associated ecosystem disturbance, are usually explained as successive water regimes. Researchers then analyse factors that triggered regime shifts and discuss (un)successful attempts by policymakers to juggle conflicting interests. Few studies, however, centre on medium-sized rivers that are nevertheless characterised by fragmented policies in which multiple stakeholder parties have a say. We discuss, through a close reading of archival records, the evolution of post-war water management in the Demer valley, Flanders. We conclude that agricultural interests prevailed until the 1970s, notwithstanding an early exploration of the valley’s industrial and recreational potential, whereupon nature organisations put forward an alternative approach that led to changing policies in the early 1990s. These conclusions do not fit into the reportedly global transferable, river management model proposed by Wolf et al.* By showcasing the Demer’s unique management developments and emphasising the individual aspects of the essentially rural Demer valley, we scrutinise the model’s generalisability and argue that it is especially valid for industrialised rivers. * S. Wolf et al., ‘Influence of 200 years of water resource management on a typical central European river: Does industrialization straighten a river?’ Environmental Sciences Europe 33, 15 (2021).