EGU23-9048, updated on 20 May 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9048
EGU General Assembly 2023
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

The joint impact of rainfall events on water- and dike systems in Dutch polders

Bart Strijker1,2 and Matthijs Kok1,2
Bart Strijker and Matthijs Kok
  • 1Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
  • 2HKV Lijn in Water, Lelystad, Netherlands

Polders can be found in coastal and alluvial lowlands all over the world. These polders need an internal drainage system consisting of drainage canals, weirs and/or pumps to discharge the water out of the polder. Next to these drainage canals, dikes can protect the low-lying polder areas that are situated several meters lower than the controlled water levels in these canals. This study investigates the joint impact of extreme rainfall events on water and dike systems within Dutch polders. Previous research has shown that the combined effect of heavy rainfall and storm surge can increase flood risk in coastal polders in the Netherlands. However, the impact of extreme rainfall on multiple water-and-dike systems within a single polder, resulting in multiple hazards, has received little attention. Our analysis uses physical models that are calibrated on measurements and forced by synthetic rainfall and evaporation time series to examine the response time and interdependencies between regional drainage systems and pore-water pressures in canal dikes. Water levels and pore-water pressures and their interrelationships were analyzed as indicators of flood hazards. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering the joint impact of multiple hazards on flood risk in polders, as the functioning of regional drainage systems and canal dikes can be affected by similar weather events.

How to cite: Strijker, B. and Kok, M.: The joint impact of rainfall events on water- and dike systems in Dutch polders, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9048, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9048, 2023.