The River Rhine situated in the middle of central Europe is a striking example for the diverging concerns of natural wetland schemes and human uses. The River Rhine basin covers an area of 190 000 km2 and is settled by 50 million people, living in nine different countries. Only in the 19th century the natural moving water courses of the River Rhine were fixed in a singular riverbed allowing the human utilization of the flood prone areas by agriculture, settlement and infrastructure.