ANP
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In collaboration with
Transmission to Zeeland
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News from the NOS•yesterday, 22:58
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More than a quarter of the dunes and sea dams in Zeeland do not meet safety standards. This was reported by the water council of Scheldestromen. There is no acute safety concern, but flood defenses need to be strengthened by 2050 to meet safety requirements. The operation is expected to cost around € 1.5 billion.
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In 2017, the central government amended the water law and established new stricter rules for flood defense in the Netherlands. All flood defenses must meet these new safety standards by 2050. The Scheldestromen water council examined 425 kilometers of flood defenses, of which 114 kilometers of maritime defenses were rejected.
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Flood defense portfolio holder Philipp Keller of the Water Board says he is not surprised by the study’s result. “Earlier, the UN IPCC climate panel has already issued a warning for a faster sea level rise than previously assumed. In 2017, the government raised the legal safety standard for this reason.”
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Financing of the reinforcement operation
The water council has to pay 10 percent of the costs of the repair itself. The rest of the costs will be split between the central government and all 21 water services in the country Transmission to Zeeland.
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The Scheldestromen water council warns it cannot afford the long-term costs. He is in discussion with the government about this.
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In 2015, the finishing touches were made to the Fortified Delta Works. Nineteen years had been spent on a new stone cover for some 325 kilometers of Zeeland dikes. At the time, it was already known that new safety standards would be presented in 2017, examining whether dams needed to be reinforced again before 2050.
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