1.4 Different Types of Land Use
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plants which affects the hydrological cycle, for example, by increasing the run-off and
decreasing the ground water recharge.
1.4.2 Trade and Shipping
Since centuries trade and shipping is closely interwoven and the coast plays a major role
in the globalization of trade. Since the Hanseatic League from the middle of the twelfth to
middle of the seventeenth century dominated sea trade it is continuously growing. Small
sailing boats built the connection between first harbors along the coast. These boats had a
limited draft and were able to sail through the dangerous and highly mobile tidal flats. With
the growing trade between different countries the harbors were growing. Consequently, the
sailing boats increased to carry more goods. The development did not stop until today; container vessels replacing the sailing boats are constantly getting bigger and bigger. Today,
the largest container vessels are able to carry about 19,000 container TEU (twenty-foot
equivalent unit) with a length of approximately 400 m and a width of approximately 60 m.
Another consequence is that the draft of these ships was increasing, for example, from
12 m in 1970 up to 16 m in 2015.
The development of the ship size demands for a higher effort in the provision of safety
and easiness of shipping. Thus, the accessibility of harbors needs continuously to be improved, that is, deepening of fairways. Some world leading harbors, especially in the
southern North Sea Region, are located more than 100 km inland, for example, Hamburg
or Antwerp. Therefore, the river channels are deepened and straightened to enable today’s
container vessels to safely navigate through the estuaries of the rivers Elbe and the Schelde.
This of course has an influence on the hydro-morphological and ecological functioning of
the estuaries.
1.4.3 Industry
The increasing economic wealth was accompanied by economic diversification and vice
versa, and goods were not solely manually produced but also by industrial production.
Special industrial branches are located at rivers or the sea because of the connection to
international trade. Some of them need the connection because of the size of their products,
for example, aircraft industries to transport large fuselage shells. Some industrial branches
are dependent on cooling water which could be abstracted from the rivers. Other branches
are located at rivers because the amount of their raw material is best delivered by bulk
carrier.
1.4.4 Nature Conservation
Nature conservation is also subsumed as interests and needs at the coast. In ancient
times nature conservation was not known, but with the growing understanding of natural
9
plants which affects the hydrological cycle, for example, by increasing the run-off and
decreasing the ground water recharge.
1.4.2 Trade and Shipping
Since centuries trade and shipping is closely interwoven and the coast plays a major role
in the globalization of trade. Since the Hanseatic League from the middle of the twelfth to
middle of the seventeenth century dominated sea trade it is continuously growing. Small
sailing boats built the connection between first harbors along the coast. These boats had a
limited draft and were able to sail through the dangerous and highly mobile tidal flats. With
the growing trade between different countries the harbors were growing. Consequently, the
sailing boats increased to carry more goods. The development did not stop until today; container vessels replacing the sailing boats are constantly getting bigger and bigger. Today,
the largest container vessels are able to carry about 19,000 container TEU (twenty-foot
equivalent unit) with a length of approximately 400 m and a width of approximately 60 m.
Another consequence is that the draft of these ships was increasing, for example, from
12 m in 1970 up to 16 m in 2015.
The development of the ship size demands for a higher effort in the provision of safety
and easiness of shipping. Thus, the accessibility of harbors needs continuously to be improved, that is, deepening of fairways. Some world leading harbors, especially in the
southern North Sea Region, are located more than 100 km inland, for example, Hamburg
or Antwerp. Therefore, the river channels are deepened and straightened to enable today’s
container vessels to safely navigate through the estuaries of the rivers Elbe and the Schelde.
This of course has an influence on the hydro-morphological and ecological functioning of
the estuaries.
1.4.3 Industry
The increasing economic wealth was accompanied by economic diversification and vice
versa, and goods were not solely manually produced but also by industrial production.
Special industrial branches are located at rivers or the sea because of the connection to
international trade. Some of them need the connection because of the size of their products,
for example, aircraft industries to transport large fuselage shells. Some industrial branches
are dependent on cooling water which could be abstracted from the rivers. Other branches
are located at rivers because the amount of their raw material is best delivered by bulk
carrier.
1.4.4 Nature Conservation
Nature conservation is also subsumed as interests and needs at the coast. In ancient
times nature conservation was not known, but with the growing understanding of natural