River and coastal management

In the Netherlands, eight coastal areas have been designated as Weak Links: areas that between now and the year 2200 will not withstand a storm that, on average, occurs once every 4000 years. Two Weak Links are situated along the Zeeland coast.
 
In 2003, after the discovery of Weak Links situated in West Zeeland – Flanders coast (WZV) and the southwest coast of Walcheren the government started to develop reinforcement strategies. Now the province, water board, local authority, Ministry of Waterways and Public Works and the private sector are jointly working out a plan in which a wide coastal zone is being reinforced, not only for flood protection but also ecologically and recreationally.
It was decided to reinforce Cadzand-Bad and Breskens on the seaward side. This creates opportunities to build in the existing dyke. In the rest of the 12 km long coastal strip the preference is for landward side widening with sturdy multifunctional dunes.

An example of this is Camping Napoleonhoeve at Breskens. Space for 14ha of dunes where tents can be pitched will be provided. A 40 ha chalet park with 400 chalets is being built on the inner dune edge. Further inland a 100 ha nature park is being created, financed by the owner through a ‘red for green’ scheme. This zone transitions into an area, at least as large, that is part of the main ecological structure.

We are providing the project manager and the two project leaders for the Weak Links, who run the project for the Province of Zeeland. We are also providing the project manager for the Waterdunen project.