Rainfall generator for the Meuse basin : development of a multi-site extension for the entire drainage area

The Rhine and the Meuse are the most important rivers in the Netherlands. A large part of the country is situated in their delta. Protection against flooding is a point of continuous concern. Dikes and other flood protection in the non-tidal part of the rivers have to withstand a discharge that exeeded, on average, once in 1250 years (Middelkoop and van Haselen, 1999). Traditionally this design discharge is obtained from a statistical analysis of peak discharges (records starting from 1901 for the Rhine and from 1911 for the Meuse).