Levee Setbacks and Floodplains
The Polders of Kruibeke Kruibeke, Belgium
In 1976, a flood broke through the levees in the municipality of Ruisbroek, Belgium, causing significant damage and forcing more than 2,000 people to be evacuated. In response to this event, the Belgian government developed the Sigma Plan as a means of protecting the Seascheldt Basin from future flooding. As part of the Sigma Plan, 13 flood control areas (FCAs) were designed and constructed. The Polders of Kruibeke is the 13th of these FCAs, having been completed in 2015. This area is by far the largest floodplain in Flanders, spanning over 600 hectares (approximately 1,482 acres) of land in the municipality of Kruibeke. In 2005, the Sigma Plan was updated to incorporate new knowledge about climate adaptation. All new FCAs—including the Polders of Kruibeke—are founded on four pillars: safety, ecology, recreation, and economy. The most important pillar is, of course, safety. The Polders of Kruibeke are designed to store excess water from the Scheldt River during storm tide, thus reducing the risk of flooding in urban areas along the Seascheldt Basin. Along with its safety function, the area has been designed to improve the environment by incorporating meadow bird habitats, mudflats and marshes, wetlands, and alluvial forests.
176
