Flooding risk in coastal areas : risks, safety levels and probabilistic techniques in five countries along the North Sea coast

Each of the countries along the North Sea coast has developed a system of flood protection measures according to the nature of the threat, potential damages and its historical, social, political and cultural background. A wide range of safety levels and differences in structural aspects makes it difficult to appreciate the situation in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The five countries are participants in the North Sea Coastal Management Group (NSCMG) and they agreed to conduct a joint study on the different approaches to safeguarding against coastal flooding. The primary goal of research is to improve communication between the various countries on this subject. This report contains: an analysis of the countries' coastal flooding policies; the results of two case studies about safety standards and crest levels; conclusions and recommendations. The appendices contain an extensive description by country of the organisational framework, risk assessment methods, safety levels, technical models, probabilistic technics and future developments concerning flooding risk in coastal areas.