Flood control and protection
The constant fight of the Dutch against the water is largely a consequence of the geographic situation of the country.
Some facts:
- 26% of the country is situated below sea level
- The lowest point of the Netherlands is almost 7 metres below sea level!
- 70% of the area would be flooded without coastal defence
- 70% of the GDP earned in areas below sea level
The Netherlands is sometimes referred to as the ‘sink’ of Europe, situated in the delta of 3 major rivers (Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt). This implies that flood risks are enormous. It is therefore vital that the Dutch coastal and river defences are of the highest quality. The Dutch are constantly improving them and developing new solutions in the fight against water. Currently, the primary sea defences have a total length of around 700 km, with another 2500 km along lakes and rivers, including many innovative solutions.
Examples:
- The Delta Works, among which the Maeslant storm surge barrier and the Eastern Scheldt Barrier.
- The Afsluitdijk, which at the time of construction was the longest dike in the world and which turned the inland sea “Zuyderzee” into a lake (the IJsselmeer);
- The Flevopolder, the former largest man made island, providing the Dutch with more space;
- Land reclamation from the sea over centuries (the polders)
- More examples...
Sustainable solutions
The Dutch realised that they can’t continue to rely on only building stronger defences, higher dikes and increased drainage to withstand the flood prone threats. Instead, more sustainable solutions are needed to safeguard the natural functioning of wetlands, coasts, rivers and delta’s. Various programmes have been started to achieve this, with impressive titles such as ‘Living Rivers’, ‘Water as a guiding principle’, ‘Dynamic coastal management’ and ‘Building with nature’. These programmes aim to ensure that the Netherlands will be able to face the growing risks associated with water.