Water and climate

The climate is changing; we all notice it. It rains more often and more heavily these days. And extreme heat and drought occur more often in built-up areas. People, animals and plants suffer from this. It even has an impact on health. No matter how hard we try, not all consequences of weather extremes can be controlled. But we can work together intelligently and make sustainable adjustments to ourselves and our living environment so that we can better cope with flooding and water shortages.

Since 2014, the national government, provinces, water boards, and municipalities have been collaborating on water safety and climate resilience as part of the national Delta Program. It is a national approach that allows for regional implementation and involves all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, the business community, and the academic and research community. The goal is for water safety, freshwater supply, and land-use planning to be climate-resilient and water-robust by 2050, so that our country can continue to resiliently cope with more extreme weather events.

For the Maasheggen, located along the Meuse River, water safety is one of the area’s greatest challenges. The backwater effect caused by additional hedgerows in the Meuse Valley must be offset by measures to lower water levels.
The challenge is to implement the necessary water safety measures while taking into account regional ambitions and the cultural-historical and ecological values of the northern Meuse Valley.