www.roomfortheriver.com
Facts and figuresThe water in the rivers reached extremely high levels in 1993 and 1995. 250,000 people and one million head of livestock had to be evacuated in 1995.
Budget€ 2.3 billion
PlanningStart 2007 Completion 2013-2019
Current maximum discharge capacity 15,000 m3/secDischarge capacity on completion 16,000 m3/sec
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and more than half of it is below sea level. Flood protection is therefore a very high priority for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment within the compass of water management.
The cadence of Dutch history has been punctuated by sea floods and the responses to these. For the most part the danger stemmed from the sea. In 1993 and 1995, however, flooding hit the Netherlands from behind its defences. The Dutch rivers swelled to unprecedented levels, with nigh on catastrophic results. In 1995 large tracts of farmland were inundated. 250,000 people and one million head of livestock were evacuated.
As a consequence, the Dutch government implemented anti-flooding measures in the region of the rivers. The ‘Room for the River’ approach was born.
Natural floodplain restoredRoom for the River restores the river’s natural floodplain in places where it is least harmful in order to protect those areas that need to be defended. In a few years, by means of a series of more than 30 measures, we will have lowered and broadened our floodplain and created river diversions and temporary water storage areas. We will restore marshy riverine landscapes to serve once again as natural ‘water storage’ sponges and to safeguard biodiversity and aesthetic and recreational values.
Local and globalProvinces, municipalities, regional water authorities and Rijkswaterstaat are cooperating on the implementation of the Room for the River Programme. Furthermore, within the compass of the Room for the River programme there is close collaboration at international level on flood protection.
Keeping one step ahead of disastersThe Afsluitdijk, the Delta Works, Room for the River – all of these flood defence projects have been reactive in nature, responding to specific threats. In the opinion of the Dutch government this needs to change. The Netherlands would like to be one step ahead of disasters, implementing measures in a timely fashion. This is being effectuated by means of the Delta Programme, which sees the country preparing itself for climate change in the lead up to the year 2100.
Dutch Water ProgrammeRoom for the River
Safety for four million people in the Dutch delta
#Arjo KleinhuisWork in the floodplains along the river IJssel
www.roomfortheriver.com
ZOOMMEER
NIEUWE W
ATERWEG NIEUWE MAAS
PANNERDENSCH
KANAAL
IJSSEL
BOVEN-RIJN
WAAL
NEDERRIJN
LEKN
IEUW
E M
ERW
EDE
STEU
R-
GAT
MERWEDE
NO
ORD
DO
RD
TSC
HE
KIL
SPUI
OUDE MAAS
MARKERMEER
KETELMEER
BERGSCHE MAAS
AMER
HOLLANDSCHDIEP
KRAMMER /VOLKERAK
HARINGVLIET
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONKEIZERS-, STOBBEN-AND OLSTERWAARDEN
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONSCHELLER AND OLDENELER BUITENWAARDEN
DYKE RELOCATIONWESTENHOLTE
FLOOD CHANNELVEESSEN-WAPENVELD
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONBOLWERKSPLAS, WORP AND OSSENWAARD
DYKE RELOCATIONVOORSTERKLEI
DYKE REINFORCEMENTNEDERRIJN / ARNHEMSEBROEK AND VELPSEBROEK
RIVER WIDENINGHUISSENSCHE WAARDEN
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONMILLINGERWAARD
REMOVAL OF OBSTACLES SUIKERDAM / GENDTSE WAARD
LOWERING OF GROYNESWAAL
DYKE RELOCATIONHONDSBROEKSCHE PLEIJ
DYKE RELOCATIONLENT
LOWERING OF GROYNESWAAL FORT ST. ANDRIES
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONMUNNIKENLAND
RIVER WIDENINGOVERDIEPSE POLDER
DYKE REINFORCEMENTBERGSCHE MAAS /LAND VAN ALTENA
LOWERING OF QUAYZUIDERKLIP
LOWERING OF QUAYBIESBOSCHWATER STORAGE
VOLKERAK-ZOOMMEER
DYKE REINFORCEMENTOUDE MAAS / VOORNE PUTTEN
DYKE REINFORCEMENTOUDE MAAS / HOEKSCHE WAARD
DYKE REINFORCEMENTLEK / LOPIKERWAARD ANDKRIMPENERWAARD
DYKE REINFORCEMENTAMER / DONGE
DYKE REINFORCEMENTSTEURGAT /LAND VAN ALTENA
DEPOLDERINGNOORDWAARD
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONAVELINGEN
LOWERING OFGROYNES WAAL
DYKE REINFORCEMENTLEK / BETUWE / TIELERWAARDAND CULEMBORGERWAARD
DYKE REINFORCEMENTLEK / ALBLASSERWAARDAND VIJFHEERENLANDEN
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONBOSSENWAARD, PONTWAARD AND HEERENWAARD
REMOVAL OF OBSTACLESELST
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONDE TOLLEWAARD
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONMIDDELWAARD
DYKE REINFORCEMENTNEDERRIJN /GELDERSCHE VALLEI
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONDOORWERTHSCHE WAARDEN
FLOOD PLAIN EXCAVATIONMEINERSWIJK
DYKE REINFORCEMENTNEDERRIJN / BETUWE / TIELERWAARDAND CULEMBORGERWAARD
LOWERING OF GROYNESMID WAAL
DYKE RELOCATIONCORTENOEVER
ROOM FOR THE RIVERIJSSELDELTA
Zwolle
Kampen
Deventer
Apeldoorn
Tiel
Utrecht
Amersfoort
Hilversum
Amsterdam
Almere
Lelystad
Haarlem
Culemborg
Nijmegen
’s-Hertogenbosch
Eindhoven
Rotterdam
Den Haag
Leiden
Dordrecht
Bergen op Zoom
Zutphen
Velp
Arnhem
ROOM FOR THE RIVER | DUTCH WATER PROGRAMME ROOM FOR THE RIVER
How we are making room for the river
current projects
additional reduction achieved in water levels for neighbouring projects means implementation no longer required
Deepening summer bedThe river bed is deepened by excavating the surface layer of the river bed. The deepened river bed provides more room for the river.
Strengthening dykesDykes are strengthened in areas in which creating more room for the river is not an option.
Lowering groynesGroynes stabilise the location of the river and ensure that the river remains at the correct depth. However, at high water levels groynes can form an obstruction to the flow of water in the river. Lowering groynes increases the flow rate of the water in the river.
Water storageThe Volkerak-Zoommeer lake provides for temporary water storage when exceptional conditions result in the combination of a closed storm surge barrier and high river discharges to the sea.
High-water channelA high-water channel is a dyked area that branches off from the main river to discharge some of the water via a separate route.
DepolderingThe dyke on the river side of a polder is relocated land inwards and water can flow into the polder at high water levels.
Dyke relocationRelocating a dyke land inwards increases the width of the floodplains and provides more room for the river.
Lowering of floodplainsLowering (excavating) an area of the floodplain increases the room for the river during high water levels.
Removing obstaclesRemoving or modifying obstacles in the river bed where possible, or modifying them, increases the flow rate of the water in the river.
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