Flood resilient landscapes: area-based solutions combine added value for society with flood risk management

Abstract

Society faces challenges such as caring for sustainable agriculture, clean energy and restoring biodiversity, whilst developing housing and industries. Climate change meanwhile stresses the Dutch water management system, impacts flood risk management and fresh water supply. To ensure making the right decisions, which we will not regret in 100 years, we developed the concept of flood resilient landscapes. The concept of flood resilient landscapes confronts, with a perspective of long term development, desired socio-economic developments with carrying capacity and potential of underlying physical landscape conditions. The underlying principle is to create social added value while promoting or at least maintaining flood risk management, given (future) spatial and societal developments. The first results are so promising that the Dutch Flood Protection Programme aims to incorporate it. The flood resilient landscapes concept offers the prospect of keeping the Netherlands safe beyond 2100 at socially acceptable costs and with public support now and in the future and paves the way towards implementation throughout international deltas.