Dike Reinforcements Endangering the Landscape of Memory Sample Clauses

Dike Reinforcements Endangering the Landscape of Memory. In the late 1980 s and early 1990 s, the Dutch river landscape was the locus of a clash between different visions of nature. The immediate cause of the conflict was the intention of the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management to heighten old embankments along the major rivers (Rhine, Waal and Meuse). River discharges were expected to rise due to both climate change and established water management policies. Consequently, the old river dikes would be too weak for adequate flood protection in the near future. For this reason, the dikes had to be reinforced. Because of budgetary reasons, however, the above-mentioned Directorate-General decided that the plan should be as cost-effective as possible: instead of strengthening the old dikes, the plan was to get rid of the often century- old, small-scaled, rather winding dikes altogether, and replace them with higher, more robust and straighter ones (Fig. 16.1).