The Riparian Land-Shaping Machine

A research project by Eugenio Da Rin and Josine Lambert proposes a strategy to improve the current model of water management and land ownership surrounding mountains and rivers.

Mountain rivers provide the majority of Europe’s water resource yet, over time, they have been subjected to relentless exploitation by human intervention.

One of the most radical and controversial interventions is the implementation of hydroelectric power networks throughout the continent, with the largest located in mountainous areas. Construction of these infrastructures commenced in the 1950s, when water cycles were steadier and more seasonal conditions could be relied upon. On the other hand, conservative attitudes and a desire for picturesque, natural landscape have left many contemporary challenges, such as demography, tourism and agriculture, unaddressed.

The climate crisis represents a remarkable challenge for hydro power systems, as conditions have caused the water cycles to change. We are left with obsolete, concrete infrastructures which can dominate the mountain landscapes. Urgent and well managed action is required to address this issue and either rid the landscape of these redundant facilities or review and modernize the way in which they are used.

The photograph shows the physical model of a lower section of Valle Maggia, Switzerland. The intent of the model is to convey the importance of considering the river, the topography and the settlements as part of one single system, which dynamically changes over time. Different land uses are shown with transparent layers, stacked on top of each other when it may change in different seasons. Interventions are shown in red: hard embankment to the upper part, sediment excavation in the middle and vegetation planting in the lower section.

Land borders drastically limit a common European engagement when it comes to mountain and river water management. The Alpine territory alone has seven different conflicting national policies and governments dealing with just one natural system. Common policies would be needed to review the management of river infrastructure from top to bottom. An example of a challenge faced on this scale is that of a reservoir on the top of a Swiss mountain, which impacts the landscape by flowing downriver to the valleys of France or Italy: currently this one entity is managed by three national governing bodies. On a smaller, more localised scale, there are various risks; including hazardous flooding, soil erosion and in some cases even water contamination.

In many mountainous regions in Europe, small towns and villages face drastic depopulation as new generations are drawn to bigger cities and opportunities elsewhere. Less people inhabiting these regions means less resources for the management of the land, leaving it unmaintained. Meanwhile, there is little incentive or attraction for migration coming in to these mountain valleys. The Riparian Land-Shaping Machine aims to provide a model through which these issues, both large-scale and localised can begin to be tackled.

By addressing land-ownership issues and changing the way that land is used throughout the year, we can achieve a more sustainable model. The compensation measures adopted from public administrations to deal with private landownership is currently limited to money purchases and property exchange. Land is considered a commodity and the disconnection between inhabitants and landscape as a system is further emphasised.

The intent of this project is to investigate and challenge the possibility of a more flexible and integrated solution. This requires further context-specific research on the socioeconomic situation to develop proposals that create a balanced connection between the landscape and settlements, without resulting in social or environmental injustice. This project does not include a detailed study on the proposals for the management of land ownership.

The project imagines a series of scenarios and hopes to provide solutions to these scenarios based on strategic guidelines. A catalogue of these guidelines is established in order to distinguish possible interventions and their effects. This is sorted, based on the type of land uses present in the territory such as tourism, agriculture and energy production. For example, if there is heavy rainfall, the Machine would instinctively move to store excessive volumes of water to natural dams or ponds by means of “controlled flooding”. This should limit the possibility of flooding within settlements and villages. The Machine could also control flooding by “opening” specific embankments to act as a conductor to redirect the river flow.

The illustration shows a diagram of Maggia Valley, Switzerland. As a large-scale landscape infrastructure, river Maggia defines the layout, character and economy of the valley. The substantial presence of hydropower facilities upstream have not only radically deteriorated the landscape value downstream, but also negatively affected the settlements economies (i.e. fishing activities along the river have completely disappeared due to water cycle changes over the past few decades).

In some areas, where river sediment has built up, the Machine could excavate the soil deposits and move them to other areas where they are of more use (i.e. to form natural embankments). Once sediments are moved to the desired location they can be used to form a “braided” river network. A braided river is formed when a series of different river channels weave in and out of each other and the local sediments create small “islands”, often referred to as “braid bars”. Depending on the size of these braid bars, this new land can have a variety of uses and in some cases can even become inhabitable.

The Machine could also be used to remove invasive vegetation to generate space for river expansion or to plant native species to control soil erosion and stabilise sediments in desired locations.

Different types of interventions are therefore possible and can be divided into three categories; hard (i.e. stone embankments), medium (sediment implementation/excavation) and soft (planting or removal of vegetation). Of course, hard interventions are often the most labour-intensive, costly and generally intended as long term solutions. Soft interventions can be relatively easy to implement, however may only be effective in the short term.

These interventions cannot be put forward as stand-alone, punctual projects but need to be identified at a general masterplan level with the guidance of planning authorities and environmental agencies. Their implementation should be included and aligned with future development programmes.

These interventions cannot be put forward as stand-alone and punctual projects but need to be identified at a general masterplan level with the guidance of planning authorities and environmental agencies. Their implementation should be included and aligned with future developments programmes.

The Riparian Land-Shaping Machine is an opportunity to translate the written European Landscape Convention of 2000 (or Florence Convention) into an effective visual interpretation. The Agreement aimed to raise awareness of the various issues facing European landscape using a holistic approach to realise it as one entity. One of the most important accomplishments of the Machine, is the ability to complement and convey by illustration what would otherwise remain a bureaucratic document.

The research has the challenging and ambitious aim of dealing with numerous, multiple-scale complexities, from the pan-European to more sitespecific scenarios. Although the need for a common agenda between the various stakeholders to control a single natural system is clear, the political solution to assume a managing role remains an interesting aspect to be further investigated.

The drawing depicts a simulation run in a section of Maggia river near Someo, Switzerland. Although the scientific model behind the software can’t predict the actual water flow, nevertheless the graphic output provides an accurate reference for the course of the river over a time period. The arrows are used as vectors to indicate the strength and direction of the water, also revealing the likely proceeding of sediments.

The climate crisis we are facing globally demands a review of the current management of large-scale landscape infrastructures. Their dynamic processes must be considered with a multidisciplinary approach and use diverse expertise. Policies and legislation must be put in place in order to encourage the development of long-term strategies. The issue of land ownership and exploitation should be explored further in order to preserve the way public interest is managed under a long-term perspective.

Recent research from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne has documented the proliferation of water management regulations at national levels over the past few decades. They were often designed to regulate the same area along different lines and across different scales but had an indirect negative impact on governance and resulted in a decrease in efficiency and clarity, leading to a systemic malfunction. In light of interdependent climate-related issues, the suggested way forward would be for the single national states to collaborate for a general review of water management matters.

The challenges are several and complex, but the time to act is now.