5.1 Coastal Protection Management
69
consequences and many victims: After the severe flooding in 1953 in The Netherlands the
approach to protect people and assets changed to a proactive work of civil engineers who
calculated and constructed protective elements – see, for example, de Ronde et al. (1995)
and TAW (1998, 2000).
The increasing economic wealth mainly based on agricultural production and trade led
to the extension of the protected area. Longer dikes did not protect only a farm house but
larger areas being used for cattle and sheep as well as peat and different types of crops. As
the clergyman anticipated (see p. 64) building of dikes was accompanied by the necessity
of drainage of the low-lying coastal area (Fig. 5.12 in Sect. 5.3). Furthermore, the ability to
construct higher and stronger dikes led to a long dike line along the coast of the southern
North Sea. Again, this was not a continuous and smooth story (see, e.g., Knotterus, 2005).
Many storm surges, especially in the Middle Ages, led to many setbacks and a lot of
victims. A list of these events for The Netherlands can be found in, for example, van de Ven
(1993); Vergouwe (2015), for Germany, for example, Gönnert et al. (2001, Chapter 7.3.1).
The main question always was how high do we have to build the dikes to stand the
next storm surges? At the same time it was only possible to determine the height of the
water level by landmarks or the height of flotsam on the outer slope of the dike. But it was
not possible to forecast the water level of the next storm surge. Consequently, this period
can be called reactive: the coastal residents mainly re-acted to a disastrous event. Where
possible, the ambition of the respective sovereign was to expand his area of influence. This
could be done by an act of war or by reclaiming land. Land reclamation was only possible
under certain conditions and was accompanied by a high effort in material, funding and
manpower. The intention for land reclamation was solely the enlargement of the area of
influence, that is, to obtain new and fertile agricultural land for the peasants, and not
directly linked to the protection of people.
Brahms (1754) was one of the first who proposed a new way of thinking in that he
pinpointed that the crest of the dike had to be higher than the former water level measured
and that the outer slope of the dike should be more gentle than in former times. These
conclusions were drawn from his comprehensive investigations on dikes along the Frisian
coast at that time. Thus, Brahms (1754) already introduced a precautionary approach.
3
The fading impression of disastrous events and the trust in strong dikes, which was
proven without damages in many storm surges, led to the assumption that these dikes
are save. During the first part of the twentieth century the work on protective elements
was neglected or reduced to minimum. Especially, in the time of World War II, other
engineering achievements were prioritized – see Blackbourn (2006).
Going back to Fig. 5.4 the first part from reactive to precautionary has been briefly
delineated. The transition between these two strategies neither was smooth nor clear cut,
3 Likely, the main actor, Hauke Haien, of Theodor Storms’ novel “Der Schimmelreiter” was based on
the person of Albert Brahms. Local residents at the coast casted aspersions to Hauke Haien because
he wants to improve the profile of the dike by flattening the outer slope. The intention was to reduce
the power of the waves which impinge on the clay surface.
69
consequences and many victims: After the severe flooding in 1953 in The Netherlands the
approach to protect people and assets changed to a proactive work of civil engineers who
calculated and constructed protective elements – see, for example, de Ronde et al. (1995)
and TAW (1998, 2000).
The increasing economic wealth mainly based on agricultural production and trade led
to the extension of the protected area. Longer dikes did not protect only a farm house but
larger areas being used for cattle and sheep as well as peat and different types of crops. As
the clergyman anticipated (see p. 64) building of dikes was accompanied by the necessity
of drainage of the low-lying coastal area (Fig. 5.12 in Sect. 5.3). Furthermore, the ability to
construct higher and stronger dikes led to a long dike line along the coast of the southern
North Sea. Again, this was not a continuous and smooth story (see, e.g., Knotterus, 2005).
Many storm surges, especially in the Middle Ages, led to many setbacks and a lot of
victims. A list of these events for The Netherlands can be found in, for example, van de Ven
(1993); Vergouwe (2015), for Germany, for example, Gönnert et al. (2001, Chapter 7.3.1).
The main question always was how high do we have to build the dikes to stand the
next storm surges? At the same time it was only possible to determine the height of the
water level by landmarks or the height of flotsam on the outer slope of the dike. But it was
not possible to forecast the water level of the next storm surge. Consequently, this period
can be called reactive: the coastal residents mainly re-acted to a disastrous event. Where
possible, the ambition of the respective sovereign was to expand his area of influence. This
could be done by an act of war or by reclaiming land. Land reclamation was only possible
under certain conditions and was accompanied by a high effort in material, funding and
manpower. The intention for land reclamation was solely the enlargement of the area of
influence, that is, to obtain new and fertile agricultural land for the peasants, and not
directly linked to the protection of people.
Brahms (1754) was one of the first who proposed a new way of thinking in that he
pinpointed that the crest of the dike had to be higher than the former water level measured
and that the outer slope of the dike should be more gentle than in former times. These
conclusions were drawn from his comprehensive investigations on dikes along the Frisian
coast at that time. Thus, Brahms (1754) already introduced a precautionary approach.
3
The fading impression of disastrous events and the trust in strong dikes, which was
proven without damages in many storm surges, led to the assumption that these dikes
are save. During the first part of the twentieth century the work on protective elements
was neglected or reduced to minimum. Especially, in the time of World War II, other
engineering achievements were prioritized – see Blackbourn (2006).
Going back to Fig. 5.4 the first part from reactive to precautionary has been briefly
delineated. The transition between these two strategies neither was smooth nor clear cut,
3 Likely, the main actor, Hauke Haien, of Theodor Storms’ novel “Der Schimmelreiter” was based on
the person of Albert Brahms. Local residents at the coast casted aspersions to Hauke Haien because
he wants to improve the profile of the dike by flattening the outer slope. The intention was to reduce
the power of the waves which impinge on the clay surface.