Assess safety
Every year we report to our regulator ILT (Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport, part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment) the condition of our primary flood defenses.
In addition, every twelve years we must assess whether our primary flood defenses still meet the safety standards set. We report on this to the Minister. For regional flood defenses we do this every six years. In the assessment we look thoroughly at all parts of the flood defenses. Flood defenses that do not meet the standards are reinforced.
New water safety standards
The Netherlands has had new water safety standards for dikes, dams and dunes since 2017. The new approach considers not only the probability of flooding, but also the consequences. Everyone in the Netherlands receives the same basic level of protection against flooding. In addition, areas with a risk of many casualties and great economic damage will receive extra protection.