Strategy Against Rising Sea Level

13 February 2007

BRUSSELS — At the beginning of March a national research project will start to investigate ways to protect Belgium from the rising sea waters, Gazet van Antwerpen writes.

In doing so Belgium is following the example of the Netherlands in its preparation to fight climate change.

According to the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the sea level will rise by anywhere between 18 to 79 centimetres by the end of the century.

Although Belgium is located above sea level, the report raised many concerns because of the country’s vast coastline.

“We are basing our calculations on a sea level rise of 60 centimetres by 2100”, says Peter De Wolf, head of the Maritime and Coastal Services Agency. “And we can easily cope with such a rise”.

The research, set to start in a couple of weeks, aims to find out what changes should be introduced to the navigation schedules and the height of the Belgian beaches.

Subject: Belgian news