Belgium and Netherlands Cooperate On Flooding

The Netherlands will help Belgium in the coming period to fight flooding of the river Maas. By doing this, flooding of parts of the Dutch province of Limburg can be avoided. Minister Melanie Schulz of Infrastructure signed hereto an agreement on Wednesday with her Belgian counterpart Minister Hilde Crevits.

The two ministers also celebrated the cooperation against the natural disaster which has been going on since 2005. The river has been deepened and new natural areas were formed which  can also absorb lots of water when the level in the river rises.

Floods in Limburg

Limburg was hit hard around Christmas in 1993. From the border with Belgium in the South until the border with Brabant and Gelderland in the North many villages were flooded.

Approximately a year later, in January 1995, the river Maas again flooded the province. This time the high water level in the Maas coincided with a high water level of the Rijn. In the so called Rivierenland, 250,000 people had to be evacuated. Fortunately the dikes held strong and a huge disaster passed by.

The works along the river Maas will reduce the flooding to once in 250 years.