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HYDROLOGICAL MODELS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF 
INFRASTRUCTURE ON WATER-DRIVEN GEOMORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSES 
Jurjen BERTENS', Paxti TAMÉS”. Antonio CENDRERO), Theo VAN ASCH* 
! Universiteit Utrecht, the Netherlands 
bertens] ? ccaix3.unican.es 
? Diputación Foral de Guipuzcoa, San Sebastian, Spain 
ptames @obrahitr.gipuzkoa.net 
? Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain 
cendrera Q ccaix3.unican.es 
^ Universiteit Utrecht, the Netherlands 
T.vanAsch@frw.ruu.nl 
Working Group: TC VII-8 
KEY WORDS: Predictive modelling, watersheds, dynamic processes, erosion, land cover, soil conservation. 
ABSTRACT 
The construction of roads and motorways implies a variety of environmental impacts on landscape features. Some of those 
features are essentially static and impacts on them can be assessed using straight-forward methods. However, impacts on 
dynamic landscape features will have to be evaluated in other ways, since the impact itself will also be of a dynamic nature. 
Fundamental to the geomorphological impact of any construction is the way in which hydrology is affected. Changes 
imposed upon the landscape by road construction and use will affect mechanisms such as infiltration, runoff and erosion. 
These impacts cannot be assessed directly, due to the complexity of hydrological processes and the way in which the 
processes are interrelated, both spatially and temporally. 
Insights into the hydrological response to construction ask for the understanding of underlying hydrological mechanisms. A 
way to achieve a better understanding of these processes is by modelling them. If spatial and temporal variability are 
accounted for in such a model, the behaviour of hydrological mechanisms and their interactions could be predicted. 
Incorporating the presence of infrastructure in such model can lead to a better prediction and assessment of the effects of 
road construction. 
The development of a procedure for linking this type of models with a spatial database can generate useful information 
regarding the assessment of the hydrological response of the environment to alterations imposed by road construction. Such 
a procedure should be valid for situations where data availability is sub-optimal (which will often be the case within the 
framework of EIA). 
1 INTRODUCTION 
The construction of any transportation system will have a number of environmental impacts (physical, biological, aesthetic, 
socio-economic). Early consideration of the full implications of an environmental impact should lead to better design of the 
structure (Beinat ef a/., 1999). Since many decisions can not be made by means of public debate, methods have been sought 
that provide a rational basis for decision making. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is one of those methods for 
evaluation of the sum of impacts. EIA is defined as the process of identifying the likely consequences of the implementation 
of a particular activity for the biophysical environment and people's health and welfare and conveying this information in a 
stage when it can materially affect the decision to those responsible for taking such decisions (Wathern, 1988). 
Environmental Impact Assessment provides a basis for resource management to achieve the goal of sustainability (Sebastiani 
et al, 1998). As a tool EIA provides preventive environmental protection and early integration of environmental 
considerations in decision making (Feldman, 1998). 
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 175 
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