Sea level rise requires a continuous effort to protect The Netherlands from flooding and to adapt fresh water management and agricultural practice in coastal areas.
To be prepared for this, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Delta Programme Commissioner initiated a six year programme in 2019 to improve knowledge about the development and impacts of sea level rise for the Netherlands.
The programme studied the consequences of the continuation of the current policies and maintenance practices under conditions of 0,5m - 5m sea level rise, as well as alternative conceptual perspectives for the long term with extreme sea level rise (more than 2m and rising quickly). The main research focused on coastal management, flood safety and fresh water management. Additionally expert judgment was used to discuss the wider impacts on land use, economy and society.
Results
The programme results provide a comprehensive overview of the research results relevant to understanding, and planning for, sea level rise. It answers questions like: how fast are sea levels rising and can we cope? What are the consequences for flood risk management and fresh water, and which measures are required? The results offer information for timely decision-making on the continuation or adaptation of protective strategies and spatial planning in the Netherlands.
A comprehensive overview of the results relevant to understanding, and planning for, sea level rise is available from September 2026. This report answers questions like: what issues will emerge as a result of sea level rise and how can we cope with them? And what does this knowledge mean for policy choices?
In November of 2023 the interim report was published which provides an overview of the results of the first phase of the knowledge programme. The Room for Sea level rise report, first published in March of 2024, looks at conceptual perspectives for the long term and describes how these perspectives could take shape in practice.