Risk Management in Dike Reconstruction

Abstract

The Netherlands which means “lowlands”, constitutes an area of approximately 41,528 km2. Almost half of those areas are below the sea level. Today, more than 2,400 kilometres of dikes shields the sunken-flat land. Regular safety assessment of the dikes are constantly conducted, and the evaluation determines whether planning or dike reconstruction are necessary to maintain the standards and norms. The construction phase packs much uncertainty, and these uncertainties can lead to consequences such as loss of life, monetary loss, or construction delays. These conditions call for a risk management framework during dike reconstruction project to minimise the risk. This study serves as a pilot project on risk management during dike reconstruction. The study first looks at the possible usage of the risk management framework during dike reconstruction project and the long-term vision of the study. The study then tries to develop a risk information framework to present and structure risk information to support decision-making process for an incident mitigation during dike reconstruction project.