Long-term measures to prevent flooding in Drenthe
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- The question is if the solutions so far, in the surroundings of Coevorden, are enough to cope with the long-term impact of climate change when considering the whole catchment area, says Rinke van Veen Project Manager at the Province of Drenthe.
The case study conducted within C5a is about long-term measures to prevent flooding and to determine which of these are cost effective, have the most result and are also acceptable for stakeholders and people living in the area.
When the floodplain Weijerswold was first discussed as a solution, studies were made and the floodplain Weijerswold became part of the provincial spatial environmental plan. But a few years later local authorities decided that local measures could do the job, meaning that the floodplain was not needed after all. However, as problems also occurred downstream at the city of Zwolle a bigger geographical catchment area needs to be considered when planning measures. - Higher dikes are necessary to prevent the city of Zwolle from flooding but that will cost a lot of money. Another options is to hold more water upstream within the catchment area, Rinke explains.
- Within the case study we will discuss wether the floodplain is still needed for the long term if solutions for the city of Zwolle are included.
- Understanding the importance of close interaction with all stakeholders from the relevant municipalities, regional water authorities and provincial authorities, our initial meeting was postponed. However, as the impact and restrictions of the pandemic continued, we opted for an online workshop which included all parties. Next up for us is to relate the conclusions – this report will be available in early 2021. Then we’ll also decide on a follow up.
