Van Nieuwenhuizen: it can happen anywhere, more space is needed for water

“What happened in Limburg in the last few days can happen anywhere in the country. We have to take into account that due to climate change we will have to deal with extreme weather conditions more often.” This is what the outgoing Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen says. She visits the flooded area and, among other things, takes stock of the surroundings of Venlo. The minister also said that she sympathizes with all the victims and victims in this “macabre” situation.

The minister does not want to establish a direct link with climate change. “But I understand from scientists that these so-called cluster showers may occur more often due to climate change. This is really a problem.” Prime Minister Rutte said something similar yesterday during his visit to the flooded area.

Van Nieuwenhuizen came to Maaspark Ooijen Wansum, a 540 hectare “water catchment area” near Venlo. According to Van Nieuwenhuizen, “a lot of work has been done in recent years”, precisely to “give water a path”. She thought it was important to see how things are going now.

Review everything

The Minister finds what she sees and hears intense, but she is happy that there have been no deaths in the Netherlands. “When you hear what has happened in the countries around us, it is really a different situation.” Van Nieuwenhuizen is in contact with his colleagues in the affected countries and hopes to meet them in August. “They look at us too and those kinds of projects.”

Van Nieuwenhuizen points out that the Netherlands is not there yet. “A number of projects have been launched, but there is still a long way to go. You would have preferred all projects to have already been completed.”

According to the minister, water problems can also occur in other places in the Netherlands. “It’s not just something of these areas. The violent cluster showers in which so much precipitation falls in a short period of time can occur anywhere. We need to map wherever we can create even more space for water. . “

In addition, all dikes will have to be reassessed. Some dikes have already been adjusted, but there is still at least 1000 kilometers to go, says Van Nieuwenhuizen, who speaks of a “complete task”.