Flemish Action Programme Ecological Defragmentation
About this good practice
With VAPEO, the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), the Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB), the Department of Environment and Spatial Planning (DOMG) and the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) focus exclusively on (large) ecological defragmentation projects at existing transport infrastructures in Flanders. VAPEO aims at structural coordination and cooperation within the Flemish government and with other authorities and organisations, at local, Flemish, federal and cross-border level.
Central to this programme is the Defragmentation Database, which keeps track of all bottleneck locations identified by studies, species protection programmes, detected roadkill and consultations with experts. It is continuously updated on the basis of additional data and information. All concrete projects are given a score (priority) based on a number of measurable ecological and feasibility criteria. The priority bottlenecks to be defragmented from the Database are included in a rolling five-year programme that is updated annually. During that five-year period, they will be further prepared and/or implemented.
An initial five-year programme works on the realisation or preparation of 15 large-scale defragmentation projects regarding roads. VAPEO aims to expand with a ‘part 2 – waterways’ , 'part 3 – railroads’ and ‘part 4 – landscape connections’. The goal is to have all 4 parts running simultaneously, structurally diminishing the bottleneck locations in Flanders.
Resources needed
10 mio euro/year for the construction of the infrastructure, preparatory studies, management, monitoring and communication. The planning and implementation of the programme also requires an equivalent of about 7 staff members within the different departments of the Flemish government.
Evidence of success
More than 180 bottlenecks were identified and scored in the database. 15 large scale projects have been incorporated in the first 5 year period of the VAPEO programme. From these 15 large-scale defragmentation projects, 8 projects are finished or being build at the moment and 7 more projects are being prepared or studied. Moreover, some additional acute bottlenecks have been solved, f.e. a defragmentation project focussing on wolf in Limburg.
Potential for learning or transfer
The scientific analysis combined with the other selection criteria ensures that the most urgent, efficient and feasible problems are solved first. The knowledge and best practices gained from previous realisations can be easily transferred to other cases thanks to the coordinated approach. The support provided by VAPEO staff facilitates implementation and guarantees the quality of the solutions provided. The monitoring of the interventions also provides better insight and increases the quality of subsequent interventions. This whole approach can be easily transferred to other countries or regions.
The scientific analysis is based on a defragmentation tool with GIS analysis that provides a model-based approach to defragment traffic infrastructure in Flanders. This tool can be adapted to specific characteristics, species or species groups.
VAPEO is also supported by social media to raise awareness and to inventories roadkill in order to determine impact of traffic on species.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Departement Omgeving