Phase 1 of the Future Dikes project is now officially complete, having confirmed that flower-rich dikes are safe and can be integrated into new dike designs. The characteristics of strong, species-rich dikes have been mapped out. The High Water Protection Programme and the water boards have expressed their ambition to establish “strong, species-rich dikes as the standard.”
Read all about Phase 1 of Future Dikes
In Phase 2, work is underway to realise this ambition. We are investigating how species-rich dikes can be constructed, adapted and managed so that they are both strong and biodiverse. Developing practical guidelines for construction, adaptation and management is central to this work. At the same time, we are carrying out drought tests and probability-of-failure calculations to determine what climate change means for dike safety and the role that species-rich dikes can play in this context.
