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"Charting the Map"
Presented by Jean-Christophe Victor
Rising sea levels in Belgium and The Netherlands
One of the consequences of climate change is rising sea levels.
We always think such things affect countries like Bangladesh or the South Pacific.
Which is why today we're going to talk about Belgium and The Netherlands.
The North Sea is located on the northwest part of the European Union.
Look at this simulation created by the CReSIS.
It shows how rising sea levels of one meter will flood certain zones.
How can this occur in the northern part of Europe?
It's an estimation of what may occur at the end of the 21st century, as published in 2012.
The study used data obtained from satellites
and contradicts estimations made by the GEIC, the Groupe d'Experts Intergouvernemental sur l'evolution du Climat.
These estimates come from a very reliable source.
According to the GEIC, sea levels could increase by 60 centimeters between now and the end of the 21st century.
That means that Belgium's and the Netherland's coastlines are particularly vulnerable.
There are 17 million inhabitants in the Netherlands, living in an area of 41,000 square kilometers.
There are 11 million inhabitants in Belgium, living within an area of 30,000 square kilometers.
The Netherlands has 450 kilometers of coastline, while Belgium has 66 kilometers.
Both countries' coastlines are particularly vulnerable to erosion because of their topography.
These erosions will accelerate due to extreme weather phenomenon
resulting from climate change, such as thunderstorms and sea elevation.
The coastlines are at risk of becoming weakened from coastal defenses,
such as natural defenses like dunes or artificial defenses like digs.
So how is each country taking steps against such threats?
Let's look at Belgium first.
The Belgian coastline is located in the province of West Flanders,
and lies between the cities of La Panne and Knokke-Heist.
There are cities located all along this coastline,
with an average of 201 homes per square kilometer, about twice as much compared to the French coastline.
In Ostende, which is the main city along the coastline,
there are 1,200 homes per square kilometer.
There are tall buildings dotting the coastline, especially between Middelkerke and Ostende.
These buildings are remnants of 1970s tourism.
The 72,000 inhabitants in Ostende and the 34,000 living in Knokke-Heist are under threat.
The coastline is short but is the economic powerhouse of Flanders.
The Zeebrugge port is located in north Belgium and supports 10,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.
There's also the port in Ostende, the smallest of Flanders-owned commercial ports.
If we include the ports in Anvers and in Gand,
all four ports contribute to the rich Flemish economy.
The Belgian coast is also a tourist spot,
with many beach resorts located in La Panne and Knokke-Heist.
Including several marinas in Ostende, Nieuport, Blankenberge, and Zeebrugge.
There were 32 million visitors, making the coastline the number one tourist destination for Flanders.
So we know the coastline is economically important for the region, but it remains vulnerable.
About one third of the coastline is not properly protected from flooding.
As was the case during a thunderstorm back in 1953.
It was the most violent thunderstorm Belgium had ever seen during the 20th century.
The Plan de Securite Integre du Littoral was launched in 2011 in order to protect the 66 kilometer coastline.
It's a large-scale construction project focusing on nine seaside resorts, including Bruges,
all of which are considered the most vulnerable points along the coastline.
It consists of redesigning the most exposed beaches, such as those located in Coxyde and Ostende
in order to protect each city's downtown area and the port's entry way.
The seabed is scrapped, and the extra sand is removed and added to the beaches to act as a buffer.
It's an important project overseen by the Flemish company, DEME, a world leader in the dredging industry.
300,000 Euros will be invested towards realizing the project between now and 2050.
It seems a lot, but the price tag could be higher if steps aren't taken now to anticipate a disastrous thunderstorm.
The Flemish Maritime and Coastal Agency estimates that such an event could result in 2 billion Euros worth of damage.
The Agency is overseeing the project in accordance with Flemish authorities.
Now let's head north to the Netherlands.
The problem is more significant here because 26% of the country is below sea level.
The government is used to finding solutions to this situation
and this has shaped the country's outlook along with how the world perceives the Dutch.
The Netherlands has managed to control 17% of the land below sea level within the past century,
or about 7,000 square kilometers of land,
as a result of an active, focused political agenda.
A polder is a type of land form that is below sea level.
The first Dutch polders were used in agriculture and are now used by people living in the western part of the country.
There's an urban renovation project underway in a neighborhood in the eastern part of Amsterdam.
The Dutch coastline is densely populated.
More than 40% of the population live in an area known as the Randstad,
a conurbation which includes the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht.
A region that is also an economic hub comprised of Amsterdam, Rotterdam - the main European port - ,
The Hague, where the government is located, and the university town of Utrecht.
This region is the hub for most of the country's administrative, trade, and industrial activities.
The economy is based on transport, shipping, ports, horticulture, and finance.
There are three provinces that make up the Randstad.
Southern Holland, northern Holland, and Utrecht.
All three represent 20% of the Netherlands' land and where half the country's revenue is made.
So how is the area protected?
The Dutch coastline is naturally protected by its sandy dunes.
But its also protected by large infrastructure, such as a vast network of digs and sea barriers.
Dutch authorities believe that 2/3 of the country would be regularly flooded without these protections.
With the most affected cities being Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.
The digs and barriers are often monitored by satellite.
The digs are continually reinforced and lifted, and coastlines are maintained by consistently adding sand.
The Netherlands spends 1 billion Euros annually towards protecting the Dutch coastline.
This works now, but what are the plans to anticipate environmental effects to climate change?
In 2011, the Dutch Infrastructure and Environmental Ministry launched an initiative
in the southern province of the country known as 'the sand engine'.
It's a band of artificial sand located near The Hague and accessible to the public.
It spans 20 million square meters, or about 256 soccer fields.
It's meant to protect the country from rising sea levels by naturally strengthening the Dutch coastline.
So how does it work?
The sand is pumped out of the sea 10 kilometers from the coastline.
Then it's placed on the beaches.
A crochet-like pattern is created and oriented towards the north.
It goes as far down as seven meters deep below the sea in some areas.
It reaches as far as one kilometer from the coastline and two kilometers along the coastline.
The wind, waves, and water currents move the artificial sand towards the coastline.
Nature's job is to make sure this happens several months after it's put into place.
And between now and 2025/2030, the 21 million cubic meters of sand will reach the coastline by the wind and waves.
According to some studies, 60% of the sand will head north and 40% will head south.
At its end the sand engine will strengthen 10-20 kilometers of beaches.
It's an environmentally-friendly solution compared to using stones or concrete.
The price of this project will reach 70 million Euros.
If successful, the project will be replicated for other Dutch coastlines.
Foreign countries have also expressed interest in using the same system in combating rising sea levels.
Dutch expertise in ecological solutions in this area has largely been exported.
The Dutch have adopted new practices in response to higher sea levels.
The sand engine philosophy relies on ideas of building with nature,
that is, using the sea as an ally to protect a given territory.
And not seeing nature as an adversary of which humans believe they're more powerful.
It's an economic and technological opportunity for the Netherlands.
All is needed is patience, solid data, and a long-term vision.
Bibliography
You can read the Ramses 2013 report, which touches on what I explained today.
And don't forget that this program is available for seven days on Arte+7.