Watermanagement in the

Visit of a delegation from Boston (USA) to the Maeslantbarrier

June 14th, 2016

Area below Sea Level

Soil map of the Netherlands

Rijkswaterstaat 2 Rijkswaterstaat in a nutshell

• Executive agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment • 8,800 employees • Regional departments and process departments • annual budget: €5 billion

Rijkswaterstaat 3 Rijkswaterstaat’s area of management

Rijkswaterstaat is in charge of three national infrastructure networks

Rijkswaterstaat 4 Management Area of Main Water Systems

• 90,310 km² of surface water • 35 kilometres of dunes • 201 kilometres of dikes and • 10 weirs • Afsluitdijk and Houtribdijk (two dikes) • 5 storm surge barriers

Rijkswaterstaat 5 Deltaworks Flooded area in 1953

Flooded

Rijkswaterstaat 6 The storm disaster of February 1st, 1953

1836 deaths 200.000 ha’s flooded (salt water) widespread property damage

Rijkswaterstaat 7 before 1953:

1997: the Deltaworks completed

Rijkswaterstaat 8 The Haringvlietdam Maeslantbarrier

Brouwersdam

Storm surge barrier in the Rijkswaterstaat 9 9 Storm surge barrier in the Eastern Scheldt

Normally open, but can be closed under adverse weather conditions.

Saltwater marine life behind the is preserved and fishing can continue, while the land behind is safe

Rijkswaterstaat 10 Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier

Operates fully automatic

All ship movement will be stopped during closures

A test closure is performed every autumn

Rijkswaterstaat 11 Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier • The Maeslant storm surge barrier is the last part of the Dutch Delta Works and is the world’s largest moveable barrier

• In operation since 1997 (constructed: 1991-1997)

• Two storm surging doors have a length of 240 metres each

• Costs: €450 million

Rijkswaterstaat 12 The barrier system

1. Maeslantbarrier

2. The dyke along the Caland 1 canal was raised by 1 metre; 2

3. Improved dykes around and near 5 3 4. The Hartelbarrier 4 5. The Brielse Maasdyke was raised with 2,5 - 3 meters

Rijkswaterstaat 13 The Hartelbarrier consists of two vertical lift gates, 49.3 metres (162 ft) and 98 metres (322 ft) in length.

In the raised position the bottom of the gates is at 14 metres (46 ft) above NAP, slightly higher than the bridge next to the barrier.

Rijkswaterstaat 14 The gates have a height of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above NAP when closed.

Rijkswaterstaat 15 The Delta works (1958 – 1997)

Total costs: € 5.5 billion

before 1953

Rijkswaterstaat 16 Precipitation and evapotranspiration

Rijkswaterstaat 17 4 major Rivers and their catchment areas

- - - Scheldt - Ems

International cooperation is vital!

Rijkswaterstaat 18 Major floods: 838 Friesland 2,437 victims. 1170 Allerheiligenflood: the Zuiderzee was created 1212 Noord- 60,000 victims. 1219 St. Marcellus' Flood, killing 36,000 people. 1287 St. Lucia's flood appr. 50,000-80,000 people lost their lives 1362 Grote Mandrenke killing at least 25,000 inhabitants. 1421 2nd St. Elisabeth's Flood between 2,000 and 10,000 casualties 1570 All Saints' flood above 20,000 victims 1703 great storm at sea killing thousands of victims. 1717 Christmas flood: approximately 14,000 people drowned 1825 Groningen 800 people lost their lives 1836 Two hurricane-driven floods of the Haarlemmermeer threatening the cities of Leiden and Amsterdam 1916 Flood disaster in Zuiderzee area 51 deaths 1953 (Zeeland, Brabant) 1,835 victims

Rijkswaterstaat 19 Rijkswaterstaat 20 Centuries of Land reclamations works

Rijkswaterstaat 21 Room for the River

• 39 projects • € 2,2 billion

Rijkswaterstaat 22 2012 2016

Room for the River project near Nijmegen

Rijkswaterstaat 23 Future: Expected sea-level rise

Sea level rise:

• 2050: + 0.40 m

• 2100: + 0.65 ~ 1.30 m

• 2200: + 2 ~ 4 m

Rijkswaterstaat 24 Rijkswaterstaat 25 Expected river discharge Summer: 1700 m3/second  700 m3/s in 2100

Winter: 16.000 m3/s  18.000 m3/s in 2100

Rijkswaterstaat 26 Changing climate -> challences

More /extreme More/intense More summer storms? rainfall drought

Increased river Spatial discharge developments Sealevel rise Increased Decreased (… cm/100y) erosion Salt river intrusion Subsidence discharge Drowning estuaries

Rijkswaterstaat 27 Delta Programme

• Deltafund: 16 billion Euros till and incl 2028

• Political-administrative, legal and financial measures are in place

Rijkswaterstaat 28 Coastal management: supply of sand

12 mln m3 of sand is added to the coast/dunes per year to maintain the present coastline

Rijkswaterstaat 29 Sand motor(engine): experimental coastal protection

Rijkswaterstaat 30 Development of the sand motor over the years:

2011 2016 2021 2031

Influenced by wind and water the sand gradually spreads along the coast of South-Holland.

This is called: ‘Building with Nature’.

Rijkswaterstaat 31 the ‘SAND MOTOR’ in brief:

• Created in 2011 • Purpose: Coastal reinforcement and coastal maintenance • More room for nature and recreational activities • Knowledge development & innovation • 21.5 million cubic meter of sand • Surface area of 128 ha

Rijkswaterstaat 32 of

Rotterdam is the largest port of .

The port is the gateway to the European market of more than 350 million consumers.

34,000 seagoing vessels a year call at the , as do 133,000 inland vessels.

The annual throughput is about 442 million tons.

Rijkswaterstaat 33 The port of Rotterdam stretches over a length of about 40 kms and covers some 12426 hectares (water and land)

Rijkswaterstaat 34 Development of the Rotterdam harbour

Rijkswaterstaat 35 2: extension of the Rotterdam harbour • New port and supporting infrastructure on reclaimed land adjoining the excisting Maasvlakte(1) area (in use since 1973)

• 2,000 hectares reclaimed, behind a 4 km sea dike

• is the biggest civil engineering project in the Netherlands since the Delta Works

• Maasvlakte 2 is in use since 2013 Extension (2008 -2013) Rijkswaterstaat 36