| WADSIS PARTNERS - INTERWAD, Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Watermanagement, Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management |
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The Wadden Sea is a very special area:
a vast expanse in which land and sea gradually merge and separate. Large parts of the area are alternately submerged and exposed. As a result, the Wadden Sea is rich in wildlife.
The water, the sea bed and the aquatic sediments swarm with microscopic grubs and aquatic organisms.
They consume each other, but they also provide food for birds and fish. Fish are eaten in their turn by seals and certain species of birds.
And so the ecology of the Wadden Sea is composed of countless juxtapositions and interrelationships.
The area is also in demand for human uses. The islands are attractive places to live. For centuries farmers along the coast of Groningen and Friesland have practised small-scale land reclamation.
Fishermen trawl the deeper channels for shrimps or strip mussels and cockles from the sandbanks. Beneath the bed of the Wadden Sea there are natural gas reserves of great potential commercial value.
Holiday-makers flock to the area from all over the Netherlands and the surrounding countries. Most islanders are glad to see them, because tourism provides a welcome source of income.
But the more human activity there is around the Wadden Sea, the less chance there is for wildlife to flourish undisturbed. Some human activities produce pollution.
And over-fishing of cockles and mussels deprives the birds of their food supply. As a result, the Wadden Sea is under threat, not just in the Netherlands, but also in Germany and Denmark.
The InterWad initiative
The Dutch, Danish and German governments are keen to preserve the natural environment of the Wadden Sea, but unwilling to exclude people from the area.
This sometimes creates problems, since choices have constantly to be made between the interests of the natural environment and those of human users.
There is no general agreement about the balance to be struck between the two, so there is constant discussion about the management of the area. That discussion is not only a matter for government,
but also for all those who are in any way involved with or care about the Wadden Sea.
To make the right choices, we need to know as much as possible about the life of the Wadden Sea.
To provide this information, research has been going on for many years. As a result, a great deal of relevant data has now been assembled, but that information is not immediately available in every local library.
This is the reason for setting up the InterWad website. It is intended to provide a forum for questions, answers and ideas about the Wadden Sea.
The Dutch government is keen to back the venture, because it wishes the Internet to be used in ways beneficial to society.
Providing access to information about the Wadden Sea and enabling people to debate issues affecting the area is an example of effective use of the new medium.
Accordingly, the 'National Action Programme on Electronic Highways' has made funds available for the establishment of InterWad. In addition, both the Ministry of Transport,
Public Works and Water Management and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries have provided human and financial resources in order to ensure the success of the website.
But InterWad would never have become a public website on this scale without the cooperation of a multitude of partners. For more information about the organizations behind InterWad, click on 'Partners'.
How InterWad works
InterWad has begun in a relatively limited way, but is likely to expand rapidly into a source of extensive information. The latest developments in site facilities are detailed under 'News'.
There are various ways to find your way about InterWad. Every page allows you to choose between news, searches, facts about the management of the Wadden Sea, discussion, multimedia,
and information about the partners cooperating on InterWad. In addition, you can also give your own views.
INTERWAD, Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Watermanagement, Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine
Kerklaan 30
9751 NN Haren
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 50 533 1379
Fax: +31 50 534 0772
E-mail: info@waddensea.org
WWW: www.waddensea.org
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