Room for the River: Nijmegen dike relocation, Netherlands

General

National Id

Netherlands_01

Site name

Rivierengebied

Summary

This example is one of many schemes being implemented through the national 'Room for the River' programme in the Netherlands. This particular measure involves setting back the dyke of the River Waal, and incorporating a new channel in to the expanded area of floodplain that can take additional flood flow from the Waal. The measures are also incorporated with a new area of urban development and will create an urban river park within the city of Nijmegen.

Light or indepth?

In-depth

The in-depth description of the case study

cs-nl-01-final_version.pdf

NUTS Code

Gelderland

RBD code

NLRN

Transboundary

Data provider

Heather Williams and Dilian Jansen, AMEC

Source(s)

Dijkteruglegging Lent

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study

Floodplain restoration and management

Longitude

5.862

Latitude

51.856

Site information

Climate zone

cool temperate moist

Mean annual rainfall

600 - 900 mm

Mean rainfall unit

mm/year

Type

Case Study Info

Performance

Performance impact estimation method

Laboratory

Performance impact estimation information

Monitoring is carried out of river flows in the Waal. The measure has been modelled prior to implementation, consistently with all schemes in the Room for the River programme: this has allowed the performance of the whole Room for the River programme to be assessed, not only this individual scheme.

Design & implementations

Application scale

River

Installation date

2016

Performance timescale

< 1 year

Constraints

This type of measure is suitable for rivers with permanent flow where the capacity to flow out-of-bank is currently restricted. There are no specific basin characteristics that are necessary, as the measures could be applied in a range of situations.

Favourable preconditions

The availability of open space in between the current river bank and the town. The sharp meander in the river provided a suitable geometry for addition of this type of measure

Public consultation

Design contractual arrangement

Arrangement type	Responsibility	Role	Comments	Name

Design consultation activity

Activity stage	Key issues	Name	Comments
			Extensive public communication for the national programme as a whole, as well as locally for this specific measure

Design land use change

Land use change type

Design authority

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
National water authority	Financing	Rijkswaterstaat	Financing
	Implementation	Gemeente Nijmegen	Direct overall project responsibility
	Implementation	Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu	Involved directly in planning and execution of infrastructural changes
	Determination of design details of the measure	Staatsbosbeheer	Involved in the planning and development of recreational and nature aspects on the future island

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons

The ability to have an influence at a large scale, particularly in the lower reaches of a major river basin, requires commitment at high levels of government. This is the case with the Room for the River programme.

The integration of this particular scheme in to a wider programme with an overall goal ensures that individual measures do not adversely affect flood vulnerability in down- or upstream locations or in other river basins, and that the combination of individual measures leads to a cumulative, quantifiable positive effect on flood risk.

Success factor(s)

Success factor type	Success factor role	Comments
Attitude of decision makers	main factor
Financing possibilities	main factor

Financing

Financing type	Comments
National funds	Funded by the national government

Barrier

Barrier type	Barrier role	Comments
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	main barrier	Attitude of people who owned, farmed or lived on the land that is being used for the scheme

Driver

Driver type	Driver role	Comments
Past flooding events	main driver	Flooding events in 1993 and 1995 led to the development of the national Room for the River programme
Organisation committed to it	main driver	The national government decided on this approach and has led and funded its implementation

Financing share

Financing share type	Share	Comments

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description

Addressing the risk of flooding from the River Waal, particularly following flooding events in 1993 and 1995. This is part of a national programme of work by the national government to make 'Room for the River'.

Part of wider plan

Policy target

Target purpose
Peak-flow reduction
Increase Water Storage
Oher Societal Benefits

Policy pressure

Pressure directive	Relevant pressure

Policy area

Policy area type	Policy area focus	Name	Comments

Policy impact

Impact directive	Relevant impact

Policy wider plan

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
National	Water	Room for the River programme	National strategy to create more space for flooding, rather than raising dykes further, initiated following widespread flooding in 1993 and 1995
National	Water	FloodResilienCity (FRC)	INTERREG IVB programme enabling public authorities in eight cities in North West Europe to better cope with urban flooding. Nijmegen is one of the eight cities

Policy requirement directive

Requirement directive	Specification

Socio-economic

Costs investment

351000000

Compensations annual information

Compensation is required to owners and occupiers of the land that will be used for the measures, who will be displaced.

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity

Provision of increased aquatic and riparian habitat along the edges of the new channel

Ecosystem impact climate regulation

No specific impact

Biophysical impacts

Information on Peak flow rate reduction

The measure provides a 35 cm reduction in design flood peak height on the River Waal.

Information on Increased groundwater level

Groundwater levels can already be high in this area, causing groundwater seepage. It was a specific aim of the project to ensure that groundwater seepage did not increase.

Water quality overall improvements

Not relevant for this application

Soil quality overall soil improvements

Not relevant for this application

Information on Effect delaying peak

In addition to reducing peak height, the measure is also likely to delay the peak, although no quantification was available