The Dutch approach

Peter C.G. Glas M.Sc. LL.M. Col(r.)

President of the Dutch Association of Regional Water Authorities
Paris, September 21, 2010
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2006
Netherlands delta of 4 rivers
Scheldt
Meuse
Rhine
Ems
Netherlands = Pays Bas = Low lands = wetlands
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The Netherlands without flood defence
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29 % below sealevel
26 % floodplains
55 % flood risk area
10 million people
2000 billion
Land subsidence
per 100 years
Land subsidence, sea level rise and water management
Inundation depths
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Arnhem 1830 Arnhem 2000
As a result of urban development,
room for the river has been drastically reduced
Urban development
Storm surge 1953
175.000 ha
1.800 deaths
River flooding of 1995
250.000 evacuees
Ooijpolder
Land of Maas and Waal
Delta project 1958-1997
700 km sea defence
12 dams
4500 M
Eastern Scheldt closure
Delta region
2500 M
Maeslant closure
Port of Rotterdam
450 M
High tech engineering solutions
Room for the River 1995 present
> 800 km dike
improvement 400 M
2200 M
http://siti.feem.it/mulino/dissem/intcon/vanderm.pdf
Flood prevention principles for the future
1. Legally established flood safety standards
2. Water based physical planning and water proof building
3. Self reliance of the public and clear evacuation
procedures
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Awareness
Avoidance
Alleviation
Assistance
Three stages of flood defence
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Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Flood safety
standards
1:10000 yr
1:4000 yr
1:2000 yr
1:1250 yr
Investments & Operations:
National 550 M (2008)
Maintenance:
Regional 200 M (2008)
Source: Water in Beeld 2009
Rijkswaterstaat since 1798
National flood defence National highways
9000 fte, 2.5 bln/y
Waterschap
3000 in 1950
26 in 2010
budget 2,6 bln/y
Regional water authorities since 1250
Regional water authorities - self governance
Independent government body:
800 years old system
own legal power
own tax system
own elections
budget 2,6 bln/y
10.500 employees
Water management tasks:
16 million people
235.000 km water courses
17.500 km dikes, levees
irrigation and drainage
groundwater management
surface water quality
390 urban wastewater treatment plants
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Government institutions Netherlands
Central
Government
Provincies
Provinces
(12)
Regional Water
Authorities (26)
Municipalities
(431)
Functional
democracy
General
democracy
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Democratic representation
Waterschap: stakeholder democracy:
o Residents
o Industries
o Farmers/landowners
o Nature conservation
Association of Regional Water Authorities
Established in 1927
Umbrella organisation of the
26 Regional Water
Authorities in the
Netherlands.
Offices in The Hague and
Brussels
Promotion of regional water
governance.
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Flood resilient cities
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Some examples of
urban protection in
the Netherlands
Examples 1
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Port of Rotterdam storm
surge barrier
Restoration of catchment
storage capacity
Examples 2
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Flooding s-Hertogenbosch 1995
Storage basin &
Nature conservation area
6 million m
3
storage
Return period 1/25 year
Examples 3
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Floating houses
Amsterdam
Flood-proof building
in flood plains Dordrecht
Conclusions
Awareness, Alleviation, Avoidance & Assistance are key
factors in an ingrated flood prevention approach.
Physical planning should be based on the scale of the river
(sub)catchments.
Flood prevention and flood management depend on leadership
in government and a financially sustainable budget.
The costs of flood prevention and flood management in the
Netherlands is appr. 1,5 bln/y or 0,2% of GNP.
Self governance and self financing of the regional water
authorities should be maintained.
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Thank you for your attention
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