Soil and water bio engineering on riverbanks: techniques with multiple benefits

Comprendre pour agirIn areas with significant land-use pressure, the space available for riparian forests is often limited, and dyking along with associated bank protection is common. The area available for preserving or restoring a river's mobility space is therefore often constrained. Infrastructure is typically built to protect human interests (housing, infrastructure, etc.) from erosion and flooding risks. Generally speaking, there are three types of bank protection structures: civil engineering structures made from stone or concrete masonry, gabions or rip-rap; soil and water bioengineering structures made from living vegetation and using the characteristics of the plants to protect banks against erosion; and mixed structures that combine both these techniques.Soil and water bioengineering has been the subject of extensive research for many years. But what exactly is soil and water bioengineering? What are the benefits of soil and water bioengineering structures for biodiversity compared with other techniques? What is their mechanical strength? What recommendations can be made regarding their maintenance? This publication aims to provide some answers to these questions.