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

ProvinciesProvinces

(12)

Regional Water

Authorities (26)

Municipalities

(431)

Functional

democracyGeneral

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 m3 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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