During the July 2021 floods, large accumulations of debris were observed at bridges, weirs and other flow-conveying structures. These accumulations can block the waterways and lead to more severe flooding. During regular water levels, this debris mainly consists of pieces of wood, leaves and plastic. By contrast, during extreme flood events, large items like containers, cars, caravans and building rubble also contribute to the blockage, amplifying the extent of flooding.
Research topic explained
To predict and prevent debris accumulations, understanding how, where and when they come from is critical. Our research focusses on setting up a large-scale monitoring campaign in transboundary catchments. There, using machine learning and image recognition, we will observe and classify debris in waterways to improve our understanding of debris transport.
Tungelrooysebeek is our first pilot sight, where we have installed cameras. Here, all debris is removed from the water by a crane, making it an ideal location to calibrate our installation. We compare what we see on the cameras with what is taken out of the water, to optimize and validate our approach. We aim to expand the approach to locations along the Meuse, Geul and Ourthe to enhance our understanding of debris in these rivers. With this information, we can inform (local) authorities about potential debris-related risks to develop specific flood mitigation strategies