How will The Hague remain safe, livable, and attractive for future generations as sea levels rise? To provide insight into the choices that must be made to achieve this, the municipality has drawn up a future perspective for the Hague coast with the year 2100 as the horizon. With its own perspective on water safety, the Municipality of The Hague is taking a leading role as a local partner in the water safety issue, in which the national government and the water boards are primarily responsible. In this way, our local ambitions are also well secured regionally and nationally. The future perspective connects water safety and spatial planning and will be incorporated into policies and projects related to water and the coast.
Alderman Nur Icar (Climate Adaptation): “The Hague is the only major city by the sea in the Netherlands. That makes us unique. We can be proud of our diverse coastline, with space for recreation, entrepreneurs, hospitality, nature, sports, and tourism, among other things. At the same time, our location by the sea presents challenges. It makes us vulnerable to rising sea levels. That is why it is so important to map out how we need to prepare for this together with partners and residents. This future outlook is the start of that.”
City behind the dunes
Rising sea levels pose challenges, particularly in the area of water safety. In The Hague, the Scheveningen coast is especially vulnerable, as there is little room here for raising and widening the current sea defenses. Furthermore, there is currently no protection from dunes that can grow along with the rising sea level, as is the case in the Oost- and Westduinpark.
A promising direction is therefore the ‘City behind the dunes’ scenario. This scenario assumes that by 2100, a dune landscape approximately two hundred meters wide will emerge off the coast of Scheveningen. This will be achieved through so-called ‘sand replenishment’ and dynamic dune management. The dune ridge will be situated in front of the boulevard, and the beach will shift seaward. In this way, the coast can sustainably adapt to rising sea levels. This provides protection while simultaneously creating space for nature, recreation, and biodiversity. To preserve the harbor, however, technical measures would eventually be required, such as a storm surge barrier or lock.
Follow-up
The future outlook is not a fixed plan, but a direction that will be further explored in the coming years for feasibility and effectiveness, with an eye to other possible measures and combinations of solutions. The document was produced in collaboration with experts, other government bodies, residents, and other stakeholders, including the Association of Boulevard Entrepreneurs Scheveningen (VBS) and the Association of Beach Operators (VVS).
“ It is good that an investigation is being conducted into how Scheveningen and The Hague can safely continue to exist behind the dunes. For the entrepreneurs on the boulevard, the view of the sea is an important point of attention. But doing nothing is not an option, of course,” says Henk Kool (Chairman of the VBS). Martin Wörsdörfer (Chairman of the VVS): “The Hague must remain a city *by* the sea and not become a city *in* the sea. It is good that the entrepreneurs are and remain involved in determining the course. We want to continue to welcome our beach visitors in a hospitable and safe manner.”
To further develop the perspective, the municipality is taking an active role in intergovernmental cooperation and consultations with water safety partners. Based on discussions with partners and the city that will take place in the coming period, a more definitive course will be determined at a later stage.
More information can be found here and here .
Photo caption: the Scheveningen coast
Photo & Text: Municipality of The Hague.
Translation to English: The Hague Online