Dutch more worried about natural disasters; Half think country will become uninhabitable

Compared to 2020, Netherlands residents are now more afraid of natural disasters like dike breaches, floods, and drought. More than half (54 percent) think their children’s grandchildren won’t be able to live in the Netherlands. A third (29 percent) think the country will become uninhabitable within 100 years.

Kantar reached these conclusions by surveying over 1,000 Netherlands residents and comparing the results to a similar survey in 2020. The flood protection program HWBP commissioned the study on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the 1953 flood disaster.

Despite increased concerns about floods and other natural disasters, Netherlands residents still underestimate the size of the vulnerable areas in the Netherlands. On average, people think 47 percent of the Netherlands is susceptible to flooding, while the actual percentage is closer to 60. Only 23 percent said they look at an area's flood risk before buying or renting a home there. And 65 percent don’t know which dike protects their neighborhood. “This shows that the Dutch are still insufficiently water conscious,” HWBP said.

A large majority (63 percent) believe climate change will significantly increase flood risks in the Netherlands. And a third (34 percent) think the Netherlands is too slow in preparing our country for floods and climate change.

“Sea levels are rising, and we are increasingly experiencing extreme weather,” Erik Wagener of the HWBP said. “To keep the Netherlands the best-protected delta in the world, it is important that the Dutch are water conscious. Because working water safety is work that is never done.”