The Netherlands is a densely populated low-lying country in which about 60 percent of the population lives in the coastal area

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Introduction - The Dutch Coast

The Netherlands is a densely populated low-lying country in which about 60 percent of the population lives in the coastal area. The country is bordered by the North Sea, Germany and Belgium. The southern part of the coast (between the Belgian border and Hoek van Holland, near Rotterdam) consists of the estuary of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. The coastline between Hoek van Holland and Den Helder is continuous, except for the mouth of the old river Rhine and the artificial sea defence structure . Between Den Helder and the German border lies the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea. The Dutch coast is part of a larger coastal system, stretching out from the north coast of France (cap Blanc Nez) to the Danish coast at Jut Land.

The low-lying nature of the Dutch coastal zone makes it particularly vulnerable to coastal flooding and erosion associated with storms and sea level rise. The large parts of the country that are below sea level are protected against flooding by a coastal defence structure consisting of natural and artificial units. For ages, the people living in this low-lying region faced the eternal struggle against the threats of the sea. For this reason, they have been preoccupied with land reclamation,, dike construction and water level control. The Dutch inhabitation of the coastal zone has been protected and presented with one of the most extensive coastal defence systems in the world in which dams, and dikes protect nearly one half of the 280miles of the coastline. From 1990, the coastal policy is to maintain the coastline with sand nourishment to prevent further loss of land. This policy has been successful so far. However, in future, problems may occur due to sea level rise and further urbanization of the coastal zone.

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Erosion/deposition

         Coastal erosion threatens all of this. It leads to: Loss of land of ecological value. Out of 132,300 km² (counted 500 metres inland from the coastline) that are under the direct influence of coastal erosion in the enlarged EU, 47,500 km2 are natural sites of high ecological value. This means they are rich in biodiversity and represent important ecosystems. Most of these sites are part of the EU's NATURA 2000 network of protected areas. Loss of land of economic value. The estimate of the current total value of economic assets located within 500 metres of the EU's coastline, including ...

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