Netherlands built a 9-km storm barrier to protect against floods; decades later, “sand hunger” began shrinking tidal flats

The Netherlands built one of the world’s most ambitious flood defences after the devastating North Sea flood of 1953.

Completed in 1986, the 9-kilometre Eastern Scheldt Barrier was designed to protect hundreds of thousands of people while keeping the estuary open to tides and saltwater.

But the engineering solution created an unexpected environmental consequence.

By reducing tidal currents, the barrier disrupted the natural movement of sand across the Eastern Scheldt.

Decades later, tidal flats and shoals are steadily shrinking in a process known as “sand hunger”.The Eastern Scheldt Barrier was built after the 1953 floodThe Eastern Scheldt Barrier was built as part of the Netherlands’ Delta Works, the huge national programme created after the catastrophic North Sea flood of 1953.