Ellen Tromp gave a presentation on levee management in the Netherlands, Europe, and worldwide. She discussed the over 15,000 km of levees in the Netherlands, the shift to flood risk management focusing on prevention, room for rivers, and building with nature. She also covered levee strength assessment, monitoring systems, and strategies for spatially integrating levees and land use planning to increase robustness for climate change. Tromp concluded that effective flood risk management requires preventing floods, reducing risks, and emergency response planning, while accounting for changing hydraulic and built environments over time.

1. 15th of May 2014
Flood Risk Management
Netherlands, Europe, Worldwide:
Levees in a changing environment
Ellen Tromp MSc. CE PA

2. 15th of May 2014
Content
• Flood Risk Management
• Netherlands
• Europe
• Worldwide
• Levees strength assessment
• Levees in a changing environment
• Conclusions
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

3. Australia - Netherlands
Brisbane
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

4. photo: Rijkswaterstaat
River Waal
Primary dike/levee
Fore land
Summer dike
River/ Navigation channel
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

5. Surface level
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,
Flood prone areas

6. Flood defences in the Netherlands
Dunes
Dams and barriers
Levees
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

7. Over 15.000 km of levees in The Netherlands
1900 km ‘Primary’
• 1450 km River Dikes
• 400 km Sea Dikes
14.500 km ‘Secondary’
Sea
River
Secondary levee
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

8. FRM in the Netherlands
Major shift after flood 1953
 Prevention cornerstone of flood
safety
 Delta works
15th of May 2014 Flooded road Limburg 1993
1953, high river discharges, 1995
source: ANP –Herman Pieterse
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

9. FRM in the Netherlands
Shift in thinking
Room for the River
Building with nature
….
• Flood protection programme (part of
Deltaprogramme)
• 360 mln Euro each year for dike
strengthening
• Opportunities with other disciplines
15th of May 2014 Flooded road Limburg 1993
Venlo, high river discharges, 1995
source: ANP -Ed Oudenaarden
Itteren, high river discharges, 1995
source: ANP –Herman Pieterse
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

10. 15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
• Dutch National Water Plan (2009)
• ‘New’ approach: DRR
1. Prevention as policy cornerstone
2. Sustainable Delta Planning
3. Systematizing and sustaining
disaster mitigation
2nd layer  focus on mitigation and adaptation
1
2
3
Sumido river, Tokyo, Japan Germany

11. 17 march 2011 11
Evacuation 210.000 people in 1995
Decision of evacuation was
based on expert opinions
Height was not a problem
but strength (stability) of levees.
Need for forecasting strength in decision process
Importance of strength of levees
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

12. Balancing safety level and consequences
Safety
Ecology
Economy
Social-
cultural
RISK
PROBABILITY EFFECT
STRENGTH LOAD DAMAGE VICTIMS
LOADING
STRENGTH
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

13. 13
Brisbane 2011, in The Netherlands a new wake up call for
a new focus on preparedness.
Focus on Contingency plans, monitoring and training
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

14. 14
levee army
Professionals
• approx. 1500
Volunteers
• approx. 5000
Training: levee army

15. FRM in the world
 Prevention
 Sustainable planning
 Emergency response
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

16. 15th of May 2014
Grimma, Germany, june 2013 Prague, Czech Republic , June 2013
Elbe, Germany,, June 2013
Courtesy: ReutersUK, December 2013
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

17. 17
Levees strength assessment
“Smart levees” send strength status through smart networks to
flood control rooms
In normal conditions  levee management
In extreme conditions  crisis management
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

18. Relevant failure modes for flood defences
Levees and dunes Structures
bekleding
Overtopping revetments Overtopping Stability
Stability failure piping Closing failure structure collaps
Collision seepage/heaveerosion
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

19. 19
IJkdijk: development of monitoring systems
Stability
(2008)
Wave overtopping
(2007)
Piping test
(2009)
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

20. 20
DINO REGIS
Flimap
(IRIS)
Basic infomation
Mathematical models
Real-time data
Visualisation
tools
Schematisation
tools and mechanisms
Quality assurance
Dike Analysis Module (DAM)
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

21. 15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

22. 15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,
Integration in land use planning, flood safety and
robustness for climate change
Characteristics based on dike safety
1. Technical design
2. Manageability of the dike
3. Planning horizon
Characteristics based on spatial planning
4. Space occupation
5. Dike acts as a barrier between two parts
of urban development
6. Functionality
(Van Veelen, et al. 2010)

23. Two identified strategies
Two strategies identified:
1. Synchronisation
(combining several agenda’s)
2. Anticipation
(make the most of the
oppportunities)
15th of May 2014 Rural areaUrban area
‘Standard’ Multifunctional dike
Above: utilization of underground space
Below: adaptive integral levee
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

24. Anticipation - 2
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

25. Urban areas
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

26. Rural areas
15th of May 2014
Jacking up houses
Sand engine
Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

27. Conclusions
There is no perfect flood risk management plan.
Consider and combine three approaches (prevention, risk reduction
and response management)
Not only focus on the hydraulical conditions but also take the strength
of levees into account.
Levees are part of the built environment, which is constantly
changing, in maintenance schemes this should be incorporated.
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

28. Questions
Contact details:
Mrs. Ellen Tromp
E. Ellen.Tromp@deltares.nl
T: +31(0) 6 10188347
www.deltares.nl
@ellentromp
15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,

29. 15th of May 2014Seminar on Levee Management, Brisbane,
Spatial integrated levee concepts
4 strategies
1. levee as area transformer
2. Levee as urban public domain
3. Levee as basis for area development
4. Levee as integrated structure