Author(s): F. T. G. Tank
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Keywords: River management; Flood defence; River bifurcations; Discharge distribution; Control measure
Abstract: In 1993 and 1995, the river Rhine and its branches nearly flooded in the densely populated country of the Netherlands (Europe). About 250,000 people were evacuated, causing large economic damage to trade and industry. Hence, in 1995 the Dutch government started a major programme for flood defence. This programme also included the concern for larger river discharges caused by global warming. The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management executes the flood defence programme, in which a new concept for flood protection was introduced. In this programme, spatial measures such as backward dike relocation and large scale floodplain lowering are used to reduce the risk of flooding. The name of the programme is Room for the River. The risk of flooding along the Rhine branches in the Netherlands during extreme discharges depends on the distribution of the discharge at the bifurcations. The river Rhine bifurcates at two points in several major branches: the major river Waal and the smaller river LowerRhine/Lek and the river IJssel. The discharge distribution during extreme floods can change. As a result, the discharge on one of the branches increases and hence the flood risk on this branch increases. With the use of control measures at the bifurcations, the discharge distribution can be managed. The Room for the River programme has the opportunity to develop a tool to manage the discharge distribution on a national scale.
Year: 2003