1) The Meuse river basin covers 34,500 km2 across 5 countries and is prone to flooding, with major floods occurring in 1993, 1995, and more recently. 2) The EU Flood Risk Management Directive requires cross-border cooperation in flood risk assessment, mapping, and management planning. Projects like FLOOD-WISE aimed to facilitate this. 3) Flood risk management in Limburg, Netherlands focuses on prevention through spatial planning, protection via dike improvements and river widening projects, and preparedness through flood forecasting and evacuation planning.

1. Flood risk management in Meuse river basin
Dr. Fred van den Brink, province of Limburg
UNDP Dutch study tour on Flood Risk Management,
May 2015

2. Catchment area: 34,500 km2
5 countries
9 million inhabitants
Rain-fed river
Mean discharge: 350 m3/s
Max discharge: 4.600 m3/s
Meuse River Basin and flood generation

3. Rain and melt water from
Ardennes region quickly
reaches border region

4. Recent floods
Meuse: 1993, 1995, (1998)
Tributaries: 1998, 1999, 2002,
2003, 2011, 2012, 2014

5. EU Flood Risk Management Directive (2007)
Topics FRMD:
• International river basin management plan
• Solidarity principle
• Subsidiary principle
Thus implicating:
• Need for cross-border cooperation
• Need for upstream-downstream adjustment
• Involvement of lowest governmental level

6. FRMD implementation process

7. Flood Risk Cycle
Prevention
Protection
Preparedness
Emergency
response
Recovery
and review
Objectives
Flood hazard and risk
mapping
Preliminary flood risk
assessment

8. FLOOD-WISE project 2010-2012
• Cross-border comparison of methods: flood risk assessment, mapping,
management plans
• Confrontation with demands Flood Directive
• Identification and exchange of good practices
• Recommendations (practical, technical, policy)
• 6 river basins and 15 partners
• Regional partner meetings: exchange of ideas, inventory reports
• Yearly conferences: workshops, political forum

9. 1. FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT
RIVERS WITH SIGNIFICANT FLOOD RISKS
MEUSE AND SOME TRIBUTARIES

10. • River Meuse: several floods have occurred with a lot of damage and
many villages and cities are threatened  a clear flood risk
• Tributaries: many border-crossing rivers like Roer, Jeker, Geul, Niers
flow to the river Meuse in Limburg
Assessment: downstream (Dutch) part is at risk if upstream part is at
risk
Risk assessment in Limburg

11. The Meuse and its
tributaries in Limburg

12. RISK ASSESSMENT: RIVERS WITH SIGNIFICANT FLOOD RISKS
1. Meuse river: based on historical floods
2. Inventory of additional tributaries at risk:
upstream-downstream rule in Germany
and Limburg. In Wallonia all non-
navigational water bodies.

13. 2. Flood risk mapping
Central role of flood maps
Flood maps provide the necessary information:
- to assess the potential flood risk areas
- for spatial planning (to prevent building in flood prone areas)
- for flood management strategy, policy, measures and activities
(indication of protected areas, technical, spatial, emergency planning)
- to inform the public and stakeholders (decision makers, insurance
sector, etc.) about the risks at stake

14. 1. Flood hazard maps
aim: to show the geographical areas which could be flooded under the
following flood scenarios:
a. low probability/extreme event scenarios
b. medium probability (return period ≥ 100 years)
c. high probability
For each scenario the following elements shall be shown:
a. flood extent
b. water depths or water level
c. flow velocity
Flood Mapping requirements

15. 2. Flood risk maps
aim: to show the adverse consequences associated with the flood scenarios on
the flood hazard maps, and expressed in the following terms:
a. indicative number of inhabitants potentially affected;
b. type of economic activity of the area potentially affected;
c. installations which might cause accidental pollution in case of flooding and
potentially affected protected areas identified in the WFD
Flood Mapping requirements

16. Which information is needed for maps?
- Type and definition of floods (river, coastal, groundwater)
- River and land use characteristics (hydrology, geomorfology, land use,
spatial development, environment)
- Probability and magnitude of flood events (low, medium, high) under
different scenarios
- Probability and magnitude of potential damage (life, property,
economic activity, environment)

17. Flood risk mapping

18. MAPPING: FLOOD HAZARD MAPS
Methods: Hydrological modeling,
field surveys and soil maps
Cross-border mapping involves:
• adjustment of coordinates,
• agreement on risk-levels,
• agreement on water depths,
• agreement on models,
• adjustment and
harmonization of models, etc.

19. d hazard map for
50 Scenario
Netherlands
Flanders

20. 3. PLANNING: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR FRMP
International ‘umbrella’ part by IMC
FRMP
France
FRMP
Flanders
FRMP
Wallonia
FRMP
Nederland
FRMP
Germany
Module Limburg Module Brabant Other Provinces
Existing flood management plans are used as a starting point:
• International Flood Action Plan Meuse
• National and regional water policy and water management plans
• Calamity plans
• Plan PLUIES
• Limburg Module for national FRMP

21. Limburg Module on Flood Risk Management Plan
Content:
Actual Goals and Measures for flood risk management on:
• Prevention (Spatial Planning)
• Protection
• Preparedness and Calamity management
By the Dutch provinces (12)
Together with Water boards, Rijkswaterstaat and Safety organizations

22. Prevention (Spatial planning)
• Goals:
- room for the river
- reduction of flood risks
• Measures:
- spatial planning (reservation of room for floods in river bed) by
province and communities,
- (no) permission from Rijkswaterstaat for (building) activities in Meuse
river bed
- (no) permission from waterboard for (building) activities in inundation
zones of rivers Geul and Roer

23. Protection
Goals:
• 1:250 safety level behind primary dikes along river Meuse
• Different safety levels along tributaries
Measures:
• River widening: projects Border Meuse and Sand Meuse
• Dike improvement within Meuse works and further on
• Further river widening for
- reducing dike improvement
- compensation of Climate change
- regional development
• Water storage and river widening along tributaries

24. Safety levels along regional rivers in Limburg

25. Preparedness and Calamity management
Goals:
• Reduction of flood damage and casualties
Measures:
• Prediction and measurement of discharge and water levels
• Dike monitoring during floods
• Protection measures during floods
• Evacuation
• Communication and information about the flood

26. Process towards Dutch FRMP
2011: Provincial Modules are put together with National Part, to form the
“basic FRMP”
2011 – 2012: Maps are made
2012-2014: Basic FRMP will be enhanced and extended with additional
goals and measures where needed
2012-2015: IMC makes international part for Meuse Basin

28. Goals
• 1:250 safety level behind primary dikes along river Meuse
• Different safety levels along tributaries
Measures:
• River widening: projects Border Meuse and Sand Meuse
• Dike improvement
• Further river widening for
• reducing dike improvement
• compensation for the effects of climate change
• regional development
• Water storage and river widening along tributaries
FRMP-Protection: examples measures Limburg

29. Strategy Room for the River Meuse
• Joint vision on future river
park: the living common
Meuse
• Room for floods and ecology
(Nature 2000) and recreation

30. Project Common Meuse, site Meers
• Integrated and sustainable approach:
people, planet, profit
• Flood protection: reducing the flood risk
level to 1/250 (now 1/50)
• Increase in biodiversity (NATURE 2000):
1600 ha extra
• Gravel extraction: 50 Million ton gravel
• Total project costs: 500 Million Euro
(financed by national authority and
putting gravel on market)
• Lowering water level: 35 cm

31. Room for the Meuse:
more room for floods
by gravel and sand
extraction

32. Actual situation
Border Meuse, non navigable
Meuse canal, for shipping traffic
Ground water level

33. Gravel
Clay
Gravel
Basic principles Border Meuse
Floodplain lowering and broadening by soil extraction

34. Future situation
Clay deposit
Border Meuse
Excavated area Meuse canal
Ground water level

35. Strategy Room for the River Meuse
• Lowering and broadening of
floodplain
• Restoration of side channels
• Removal of barriers
• Replacing of dikes
• Dike improvement where
necessary
• Cross-border investments 20 M€

36. Dike building and
improvement:
ring dikes and
parallel dikes

37. Permanent and removable dikes

39. Pumping of seepage water

40. Sand Meuse
River widening:
Project Ooijen-
Wanssum
• Total costs: 210 M€
• By national and regional governments
• 500 ha land acquisition
• Lowering water level by 35-50 cm
• Regional development, including
harbour, roundabout, nature

42. Strategy tributaries: river restoration
• Water storage and river restoration
• Restoration of sponge function of wetlands
• Ecological targets: WFD + N2000
• Conservation of nature and landscape

43. Strategy tributaries: retention basins
• Additional retention and source orientated measures in hilly areas

44. More information:
Project website www.floodwise.eu
Wise RTD www.wise-rtd.info
Questions?