Gaute Velle and Ulrich Pulg wade in the shallow and turbid lake in Sælenelven in Fyllingsdalen in Bergen. The two researchers from NORCE are looking for life in the river that was recently lifeless. In the 50’s it was wild salmon here. But then the river was made of pipe. The danger of larger rivers is one of the reasons why the municipality has opened up for parts of the river att. The researchers call this nature-based climate adaptation. – Much of the flood protection that has been done in Norway is not dimensioned for the floods we believe will come in the future, says Pulg. – Many new security projects have also been done in a bad way. Fortunately, there has been a steady improvement in recent years, he says. Researchers Ulrich Pulg and Gaute Velle in Sælenelven in Fyllingsdalen. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Sikringa can hurt worse Flåmselvi flows freshly down towards the fjord. But it is nothing compared to October 2014. Then the autumn flume washed away houses, buildings, gardens and bridges. After the flood, extensive security measures were built along the river. But researchers say they are not always dimensioned for what comes with climate change. – It’s too crowded in some places here. This may mean that the biggest flaumane can do more damage due to security measures, says Pulg. Much of the flood protection made in Norway is harmful to life in the river. In Flåm they saw a dramatic fall of young fish from salmon and aura in the river. But in retrospect, much has been done to rectify this. Gravel and stone have been laid out to create a natural environment. A lot of the fish have come back. Flaum protection in Flåmselvi by Gjeilagrovi Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Flåmselvi is far from the worst example. Biology professor Gaute Velle says the natural river environment is often destroyed during flood protection. – Life in the rivers is already under strong pressure. Flaumsikringa often does not pay attention to what different species need. It can quickly become the drop that causes the balance to falter. Major changes in recent years Brigt Samdal, director of NVE, is largely associated with how researchers portray reality. Brigt Samdal, director of landslides and watercourses in NVE Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news – There has been a big difference in how one thinks of flood protection in recent years. This applies to dimensioning for larger flaums. And the view of life in the lake. He points out that one often has to compromise. It is the municipalities that control their area, and they often have the last word on how flaum protection is to be carried out. But he has no doubt that Norway faces a major challenge when it comes to adjusting existing flood protection. – We have calculated that around NOK 85 billion must be invested to protect ourselves against major fluctuations caused by climate change. Measures in the rivers The researchers from NORCE believe that the best solution is to give the rivers more space. More area must be set aside for the lake. It can help with both flood protection and biodiversity. – It is clear that one must make a compromise. But with increasing fumes, we can not just build ourselves out of problems. Velle and Pulg say this will have consequences for how we use the land along the rivers. – It can quickly become cheaper to change land use than to clean up after floods. But this is a political assessment. In collaboration with NVE, they have several solution proposals, for example in Flåmselvi. The river will have a more natural course, with room for different species. The researchers have made plans for river parks and more vegetation along the river. – The extra area the river needs can, for example, be used as a nature and recreation area, or for agriculture. And in Sælenelven in Bergen, there is hope for new life for the river. Ulrich Pulg finds rump trolls and benthic animals in the attopna river right by the shopping center. In the lower part of the river, both salmon and aura have been registered. – The river can return almost as it was. It takes a lot of work to make it happen. But if done right, we can somehow secure ourselves against the floods of the future and have a better natural environment. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news
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NORCE researchers believe flaum protection is not dimensioned for the flaum that is coming – news Vestland
