The Dutch lower river region owes its prosperity to its advantageous location in the Rhine and Meuse rivers delta. It is a region of extremes, with densely populated urban areas, cultural landscapes, and nature reserves. The area’s water and flood risk management is of international importance in many respects. In the coming decades, the water and flood risk management infrastructure will be challenged on many levels. Rising sea levels and more extreme high and low river discharge ensuing from climate change will add to the flood risk and water management tasking. It is expected that more prolonged periods of drought will occur, putting additional pressure on the freshwater supply in the area. In addition, the region faces spatial adaptation challenges involving rural floodplains, urbanized areas, and the port industrial complexes of Rotterdam and Dordrecht. The Delta Futures lab group “Dutch lower river area” aims to analyze and embrace this complexity by bringing students and researchers together from different viewpoints and fields of expertise.

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Any questions? Contact: Tom van der Wekken (tom.vander.wekken@kpnmail.nl)

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