News item | 09-10-2023 | 11:30
Today the KNMI presented the new climate scenarios for the Netherlands. The scenarios confirm that climate change is happening faster than previously assumed and that the weather in the Netherlands is becoming more extreme: wetter winters, drier summers, more heat and more heavy showers. Sea level rise is also accelerating off the Dutch coast, and we must take into account a rise of more than 1 meter from 2150.
Delta Commissioner Peter Glas: “The new scenarios show that action is required on all fronts if we want to continue to live safely and prosperously in our delta. Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced worldwide. Even if we succeed in rapidly reducing CO2 emissions globally, climate change will continue and we will have to adapt to the consequences. The more we limit emissions, the better our country can be protected against flooding in the future and remain livable for future generations.”
According to the Delta Commissioner, it is crucial to intensify the approach in the National Delta Program in order to adapt in a timely manner to the consequences of climate change. “Extra effort is desperately needed. This means that in the coming decades more money will be invested in strengthening our dikes and coastal protection, and additional measures will be taken to maintain our freshwater supplies and prevent salinization. This also means consistently building climate-proof buildings to limit flooding and provide cooling in villages and cities on hot days. The events in Limburg have shown that the weather is becoming increasingly erratic and that we must prepare for the unexpected. It is therefore very important to continue investing in knowledge and, when making new investments, take into account the space that may be needed in the future to protect us against flooding.”
Fresh water
The scenarios show that it will rain less in the summer and long-term drought will occur more often. This puts pressure on the availability of freshwater for our drinking water, nature, agriculture and industry. Peter Gla: “It is almost unimaginable in a water-rich country like the Netherlands, but we will really have to do more to prevent us from having too little freshwater in the future. This means adapting land use, better retaining fresh water and limiting water demand. I call on future cabinets to step up their game on climate adaptation. It has to be faster and it will also cost more money, that’s the honest story. And it is simply necessary, the stakes are greater than ever. Sea levels are rising inexorably, river discharges are becoming more erratic and dry years are becoming more common. The climate will not wait until we are ready for it, we must get to work faster now!”