Bureau: Ingenieursbureau Oranjewoud B.V.

Exploration of flood risks along the coast

For the first time ever, the flood risks of the entire North Sea area have been mapped. Dutch consulting engineers made it possible.

What influence does climate change have on the flood risks in all coastal areas around the North Sea? What measures should European policy makers take to minimize the flood risks?

Very important questions, especially in light of the expected climate change and associated sea level rise. Human lives could literally be at stake. As part of the European Union-programme SafeCoast, Oranjewoud and its Belgian sister company Soresma went and found the answers.

The companies did not start their exploration on a blank page. Belgium, Germany, Great-Britain and the Netherlands had all made their own assessments of flood risks in the past. The team made optimal use of the available information and designed a method to compare these different assessments. This approach – based on respect and maximal integration – lead to success.

The cross-border team of Oranjewoud and Soresma paid specific attention to the political sensitivity that comes with the presentation of flood risks. The results of the project were presented in the spring of 2008 during SafeCoast’s closing conference. The result is the first, global North-European insight into coastal flood risks. More than that, it shows how an international coastal region can take transnational action in flood risk management. The countries involved also received guidance to refine their methods and approach to risk analysis.

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This project is part of 'Dutch engineers: creating all over the world'

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