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Dieren en planten

Water en land

Mens en Milieu

Coastal protection   Policy   

Coastal defence policy

In 1996, the new Act for Flood Defences went into force in the Netherlands. The purpose of the act is to maintain the safety which has been achieved since the Delta Works were completed. The third coastal note 'Tradition, trends and future' from 2002 elaborates this for the coastal defence. In the Fifth Note on Environmental Planning, a large amount of room has been reserved for extra coastal defence. The union of beach operators want to establish a minimum beach width. Momentarily, it is not important how wide the beach is as long as the base coastline from 1990 is maintained.

  • Retreat or defend

    When the Act for Flood Defences was drafted, four possibilities were distinguished:
    1. Pulling back: coastal degradation would only be fought in those places where the safety of the polders was in question; in all other places, coastal degradation would be accepted, although kept under watch. Costs: around sixteen million euros per year.
    2. Selective Management: besides just safety, coastal degradation would also be fought in places where nature conservation and other interests were involved. Costs: around twenty million euros per year.
    3. Maintaining the 1990 coastline: Costs: ca. 27 million euros per year.
    4. Seaward defences: Coastal degradation would be fought everywhere, and a seaward construction would be placed at weak spots, stretching out the coast and promoting natural sand deposition. Enforcing the weak spots would cost over ten years time around 36 million euros.
    Ultimately, 'alternative maintenance' of the base coastline as it was in 1990 was chosen. The Provincial Discussion Group on Coastal Defence (POK) was appointed to execute the work. All of the bodies involved are represented, such as the water boards, the Public Works and the townships.

  • Haakse Sea Dike

    The Haakse Sea Dike is a plan to build a completely new coast 25 kilometers off the coast, from Walcheren to Den Helder. It seems like a futuristic plan, but according to the authors of the plan, it is the solution for floods, coastal erosion, energy shortages, lack of space for houses and a new airport.