Scheveningen could disappear due to rising sea levels

Besides the heatwaves plaguing Europe, climate change is also causing sea levels to rise. This could be a problem for The Hague, which is located directly by the sea. This is also a concern for the municipality, which fears that if the sea level continues to rise, Scheveningen will no longer exist, NU.nl reports.

The municipality of The Hague has been aware of this problem for some time. In a letter on Tuesday, alderman Robert Barker (PvdD) warned that the rise in sea level has been a source of concern for the political epicenter of the Netherlands for some time. The municipality would have to adapt to this situation sooner or later and find solutions.

"We know that the dikes we have now won't protect us forever," Barker told NU.nl." So it's important not to be surprised and to be prepared."

It is not yet certain when exactly Scheveningen and the rest of The Hague will disappear from the map due to rising sea levels. However, the national meteorological institute KNMI assumes that the sea level will rise by 40 to 80 centimeters by the end of this century. If nothing has been done to combat climate change by then and the earth continues to get warmer, sea levels could rise by several meters by the next century.

Nevertheless, there is still hope for The Hague. A recent study has concluded that the Netherlands could remain habitable even if the sea level rises by several meters. However, precautionary measures would have to be taken now. The Hague sees itself as a pioneer in this respect, as the municipality is using the study to determine how the layout of the city should change to remain livable in the future, according to NU.nl.

The focus is on Scheveningen, the outermost district of the city, which is located directly by the sea. Even though this part of The Hague is mainly protected from the sea by dunes, around 3 kilometers of the coastal area is not. There, the water is held back by a 'hard' sea dike, including a dike under the boulevard. According to the municipality, however, this dyke will soon no longer be safe enough to keep the water out.

The municipality is therefore investigating whether building more and higher dunes is a suitable protective shield for The Hague. The popular city by the sea would then disappear behind the dunes, and the current coastline would no longer exist.

The municipality of The Hague wants to develop possible solutions in the next year. Alderman Barker said he will discuss the options with city residents soon. "We have already seen that the quays in Scheveningen have been flooded more and more often during storms in recent years," the alderman told NU.nl. According to him, it shows that a long-term vision is needed to prevent these problems from getting worse. "We have to do something to ensure that we do not become a city in the sea."