Engineering of river basins
In the past centuries, we have taken space from the rivers continuously. Rivers are squeezed in between high dikes. At the same time, the land behind the dikes has subsided, it's space is intensively used, the population grows and prosperity increases. As a consequence a potential flood increases in severity. Due to climate changes more peak discharges will occur which make these areas even more vulnerable. It is possible to raise the crest levels of the dikes, which will diminish the chance of flooding but when a flood does occur, the consequences are severe. To keep the Netherlands sufficiently safe, and an attractive place to live, a new trend is introduced: 'More room for the river'.
In the Netherlands a lot of knowledge and experience is being developed in the field of sustainable and integrated planning in river basins, which can be applied internationally as well.
Source: parts from the Ministry of transport, public works and water management.
