6.1 Integrated Water Management for Quality and Quantity
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areas which could be subject to bank erosion and debris flow deposition. The third part of
Article 6(5) deals with indicative flood risk maps which should contain: (a) the number of
inhabitants potentially affected, (b) potential economic damage in the area and (c) potential
damage to the environment. Article 6(8) formulates that the flood risk maps should be
finished until 2013 at latest and should be updated every 6 years thereafter.
Chapter IV deals with the flood risk management plans, the third pillar of FRMD
(Articles 7 and 8). These articles are dealing with the development and implementation
of flood risk management plans in vulnerable river basins and coastal areas as well as the
coordination mechanisms of the management plans within the river basin districts (EC,
2006). An important aspect is mentioned in Article 7(1): the Member States shall prepare
and implement flood risk management plans at the level of the river basin district for the
river basins, sub-basins and stretches of coastline identified under point Article 5(1). And
in Article 7(2): Member States shall establish appropriate objectives for the management
of flood risks for the areas identified [ . . . ], focusing on the reduction of potential adverse
consequences of flooding and for human health, the environment and economic activity,
and, [if considered appropriate, on non-structural initiatives and/or on the reduction of the
likelihood of flooding.
6.1.4 The Dutch Flood Risk Management Approach
Referring to the description in Sect. 5.1.4 on the development of the Dutch approach to
coastal protection the paradigm shift from probability of exceedance to probability of
flooding will be elaborated. The probability of exceedance introduced after the storm surge
in 1953 and manifested by determining safety standards for assigned dike-rings
4 according
to their vulnerability against flooding led to a continuous construction program for heightening and strengthening of dikes (main dikes at the coast as well as levees at the rivers).
The Flood Defense Act (see TAW, 1998) in 1996 confirmed these safety standards (see
Fig. 5.6).
Due to fluvial flood events along the major rivers also a shift of the approach at rivers
took place which led to the program “room for the river” (RWS, 2012, 2013). Besides
the usual measures of heightening and strengthening of river dikes some more innovative
measures were introduced (RWS, 2012, p. 6):
• Floodplain excavation: By removing layers of soil from certain parts of the floodplains,
more room is created for the river when the water level rises,
• Relocation of dikes: By relocating dikes further away from the river, the floodplains
become wider.
4 Dike-ring area: An area that must be protected by a system of dikes against flooding, in particular high storm surges, high surface water in the major rivers or high water in the Ijsselmeer or a
combination thereof (Flood Defense Act, Section 1).
141
areas which could be subject to bank erosion and debris flow deposition. The third part of
Article 6(5) deals with indicative flood risk maps which should contain: (a) the number of
inhabitants potentially affected, (b) potential economic damage in the area and (c) potential
damage to the environment. Article 6(8) formulates that the flood risk maps should be
finished until 2013 at latest and should be updated every 6 years thereafter.
Chapter IV deals with the flood risk management plans, the third pillar of FRMD
(Articles 7 and 8). These articles are dealing with the development and implementation
of flood risk management plans in vulnerable river basins and coastal areas as well as the
coordination mechanisms of the management plans within the river basin districts (EC,
2006). An important aspect is mentioned in Article 7(1): the Member States shall prepare
and implement flood risk management plans at the level of the river basin district for the
river basins, sub-basins and stretches of coastline identified under point Article 5(1). And
in Article 7(2): Member States shall establish appropriate objectives for the management
of flood risks for the areas identified [ . . . ], focusing on the reduction of potential adverse
consequences of flooding and for human health, the environment and economic activity,
and, [if considered appropriate, on non-structural initiatives and/or on the reduction of the
likelihood of flooding.
6.1.4 The Dutch Flood Risk Management Approach
Referring to the description in Sect. 5.1.4 on the development of the Dutch approach to
coastal protection the paradigm shift from probability of exceedance to probability of
flooding will be elaborated. The probability of exceedance introduced after the storm surge
in 1953 and manifested by determining safety standards for assigned dike-rings
4 according
to their vulnerability against flooding led to a continuous construction program for heightening and strengthening of dikes (main dikes at the coast as well as levees at the rivers).
The Flood Defense Act (see TAW, 1998) in 1996 confirmed these safety standards (see
Fig. 5.6).
Due to fluvial flood events along the major rivers also a shift of the approach at rivers
took place which led to the program “room for the river” (RWS, 2012, 2013). Besides
the usual measures of heightening and strengthening of river dikes some more innovative
measures were introduced (RWS, 2012, p. 6):
• Floodplain excavation: By removing layers of soil from certain parts of the floodplains,
more room is created for the river when the water level rises,
• Relocation of dikes: By relocating dikes further away from the river, the floodplains
become wider.
4 Dike-ring area: An area that must be protected by a system of dikes against flooding, in particular high storm surges, high surface water in the major rivers or high water in the Ijsselmeer or a
combination thereof (Flood Defense Act, Section 1).