In this section you will find an introduction to four example cases of BwN.

Below this text, we provide an overview of the four cases. You will also find a map of the Netherlands and an introductory video to the Delta Approach for water management.

Enjoy familiarizing yourself with the more detailed material!

CASES

1. Climate-proof Noordwaard

The river Rhine runs through the Netherlands towards the North Sea. During very high discharges the floodwaters needs more space to spread out so as to prevent disastrous downstream flooding. There needs to be more Room for the River! This will be provided by de-poldering the Noordwaard polder, which is situated in the South-western part of the Netherlands. De-poldering involves allowing controlled flooding of specific areas of the land. Nevertheless, within this de-poldered area, there are location(s) that still have to be protected from flooding. We are looking for a nature friendly solution, possibly by building a dike.

2. Nijmegen case

On its journey through the Netherlands, the Waal River passes the city of Nijmegen, in the Eastern part of the country. To prevent dangerous situations similar to those of 1993 and 1995 when extreme river discharges occurred and major evacuations of people and animals had to be undertaken, more room has to be given to the river near Nijmegen. The proximity to the city means that there is an opportunity to improve the quality of the environment for urban dwellers when we design our nature friendly solution to the flooding safety problem.

3. Fish Manager

Fish Manager – One hundred years ago, a long dike was constructed in the North of the Netherlands to protect large tracts of land from flooding.  This barrier dike transformed the Zuiderzee (South Sea) into a freshwater lake known as the Ijsselmeer (Ijssel Lake), and continues to separate the fresh Ijssel Lake from the salt water of the Wadden Sea. Sluices in the barrier dike only allow freshwater to drain into the salty sea water, but do not allow salt water to penetrate into the freshwater lake. This means that at present fish cannot migrate from the sea into the lake. We are going to design a nature friendly solution for this problem, with the strong proviso that the flooding safety standard is maintained.

4. Coastal Protection

Regular assessments of the safety of a dike are undertaken in the Netherlands. During such an assessment, the anticipated performance of the dike subjected to a storm surge or flood with an incidence of occurrence of 1 in 10 000 years (the Dutch flood protection standard) is tested. During a recent assessment,  the sea defence dike along the North Holland coast near Petten was deemed not to satisfy the safety requirements. Accordingly, the coastal defences have to be upgraded. We are looking for a nature friendly solution to this problem and we take into consideration that the North Holland coast has many naturally occurring dunes and is strongly influenced by the wind and waves.

Clearly, the Dutch have a long tradition of water management. In addition to the national, provincial and municipal government layers, the Netherlands has an additional category of governmental bodies specifically charged with water-related tasks: the water boards (Dutch: waterschappen or hoogheemraadschappen). There are currently 23 water boards that are all responsible for managing the dikes, water barriers, waterways, water levels, water quality and sewage treatment in their regions. These Dutch regional water authorities are among the oldest forms of local government in the Netherlands, dating back to the 13th century.

After suffering a number of coastal storm surges, with the disastrous flooding in 1953 (Dutch: Watersnoodramp) as an absolute low point, the Netherlands sought to improve its flood protection further and to reclaim land for agriculture. In the twentieth century, large hydraulic engineering projects (the Dutch Delta Works and the Zuiderzee Works) were undertaken to shorten the Dutch coastline as part of ambitious plans for improving flood protection and reclaiming land. The construction projects have shaped Dutch flood protection in many ways, allowing Dutch engineers to innovate and deepen their practical knowledge of hydraulic design and construction. Aside from changes in the engineering profession, the physical Delta system, and the institutions of water governance, the infrastructure works also impacted on the environment and society. From the beginning of the twentieth century, Dutch flood protection policies and projects have continued to alter owing to changing social needs (e.g. public opposition to the impacts on historic buildings and the environment) and changing long-term circumstances (e.g. climate change, sea-level rise). This trend continues and is embodied in the Building with Nature philosophy.

The short video below provides an introduction to the Delta Approach, and explains how the Netherlands is protected against high water.

Source: Dutch Embassy in the United States of America