Westerwoldse Aa River Restoration & Community Engagement
This document summarizes the research activities, stakeholder workshops, and community engagements conducted as part of the “From Aa to Sea” (Van Aa naar Zee) river restoration initiative in the Oldambt region.
Update 1: Research Discussion Workshop
Event Details
- Date: 29 April 2026
- Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Location: Community Center “Ganzedijk / Hongerige Wolf”
- Target Audience: Stakeholders and inhabitants of the region
Invitation & Context
Since April 2025, students and staff from Wageningen University have been conducting research in the Oldambt region on “how people live with water” as part of the “From Aa to Sea” (Van Aa naar Zee) river restoration citizens’ initiative. As you have contributed to this research, we would like to invite you to a discussion workshop where we will present our results after one year of research and engage in a conversation with you about our findings.
Outcomes & Discussion
Around 25 people participated in the workshop and engaged in the discussion regarding how people viewed and experienced the river. In the end, the decision was made to organize a boat trip to experience the river directly from the water in order to gain a different perspective on the river and the (Wadden) sea.
Update 2: Exploratory Boat Trip
Event Details
- Date: Sunday, 24 May 2026
- Time: 9:15 AM – ~2:45 PM
- Route: Westerwoldse Aa to Dollard
- Target Audience: Stakeholders and participants of the previous workshop
Invitation & Context
The RiVIVE and Riverhood & River Commons researchers invite you to join an exploratory boat trip. As part of the “From Aa to Sea” (Van Aa naar Zee) initiative, we are conducting research into how people in the Oldambt region live with water, the river, and the sea—and we are carrying out this work on and from the water itself. We would like to explore the river and the sea with you, to view and reimagine them from a different perspective. Will you join us on board?
Outcomes & Exercises
Twelve people (the maximum capacity) joined the boat trip. Two primary exercises were conducted on board:
- Sensory Experience: Participants were asked to use all their senses to experience the river and sea environment.
- Multi-Species Perspective: Participants assumed roles as non-human species (e.g., eel, lamprey, other fish species, cormorant, and other birds) to imagine life within the riverscape from these perspectives.
Participants presented their thoughts to each other and discussed how river restoration could benefit human communities as well as other-than-human species.
Update 3: Large Riparian Assembly
Event Details
- Date: 10 June 2026
- Target Audience: Regional stakeholders across the Oldambt region
- Attendance: Approximately 50 stakeholders
Session Structure & Discussion
The assembly was structured into two distinct parts:
- Part 1: Informative Presentations
Jerry van den Berge presented the outcomes of the RIVIVE research. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from local water authorities, the provincial government, and agricultural stakeholders. Several research projects and aspects related to the river restoration initiative were highlighted, including our core case study. - Part 2: Core Dilemmas Discussion
The second half focused on deliberating five central dilemmas identified for the Westerwoldse Aa riverscape restoration:
| Dilemma # | Core Tension / Key Trade-off |
|---|---|
| 1 | (Natural) system restoration vs. Cultural landscape preservation |
| 2 | Inside the dikes vs. Outside the dikes |
| 3 | Short-term practical solutions vs. Long-term systemic vision |
| 4 | Large-scale strategic approach vs. Small-scale localized action |
| 5 | Combating land subsidence vs. Combating salinization |
Update 4: Vision & Route Design Workshop
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Location: Community Center “Ganzedijk / Hongerige Wolf”
- Target Audience: Stakeholders and local inhabitants
Invitation & Context
The RiVIVE and Riverhood & River Commons researchers would like to invite you to a workshop. Together, we aim to design a route that highlights both the beauty of the river and the areas that could benefit from revitalization—building upon the visions and ideas we have gathered from you.
Outcomes & Results
A total of 23 people participated in the workshop. Working collaboratively, the group successfully designed a continuous river route that visually highlights and demonstrates a revitalized (revived) riverscape.