Netherlands

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

Exposed to North Sea

Low lying bathymetry - 26% BSL

Question 2

Sediment

Answer 2

Rhine Delta sediment - subsidence of 8mm/yr

Question 3

SLR

Answer 3

19cm since 1900

Sea inundated 17% land - flood prone urban areas increase 30-125% by 2100

Question 4

Risk

Answer 4

66% population live in flood prone areas
70% GDP at risk from flooding
Rotterdam is largest European logistics hub - supplies 75% of Western Europe

Question 5

The Great Flood

Answer 5

February 1953
Mid latitude depression moved South through North Sea
Storm surges of 5m

Question 6

Great Flood recovery (attempted)

Answer 6

1000s of workers attempt to reinforce dykes - 1/6 land inundated
Help + aid from 6 nations to support relief - but transport paralysed

Question 7

Great Flood impacts

Answer 7

£400 mil - 10% farmland destroyed (200000+ farm animals)

1836 died, 50000 buildings damaged, 72000 displaced

Question 8

Flood plains

Answer 8

Released rivers into fields - creates flood plains

Lowers water so less town flooding

Question 9

Rebuilt housing

Answer 9

Farm houses on manmade mounds
Homes built on hollow concrete platoons
Flexible for piping (electricity and sewage) + rises with daily tides (up to 5.5m)

Question 10

Government

Answer 10

Set aside 1bil euros per year for costal flood defence - 9km storm surge barrier

Question 11

Polders

Answer 11

Low walled dykes

Reclaim land to build up marshland

Question 12

Dykes

Answer 12

16496km of Deltaworks dykes

Designed for 1 in 10000 yrs flood event

Question 13

Financing

Answer 13

€7bil annual water management costs

Incremental €2bil per annum