What are the potential consequences of waterlogging?

Prolonged or severe precipitation can cause trouble or damage to society. For example, roads can become impassable due to water in the streets. There may also be damage, for example to buildings, infrastructure and in agriculture. The paragraphs below explain more about the possible impacts of waterlogging.

The Delta scenarios Swift, Steam, Warm and Spacious provide four future images of how water safety and other water challenges in the Netherlands may change. All four scenarios show that water challenges will increase considerably. Their severity depends largely on how much CO2 is emitted and how much the Dutch population and economy will grow.

Examples of impacts

Water on the streets does not only cause nuisance. If polluted water ends up in the streets due to sewer overloading, this can also cause health risks. For agriculture, excessive precipitation may cause damage to crops. There can also be damage to greenhouses or stables, as a result of hail storms. In addition, wetter summers increase the risk of diseases and pests. Furthermore, various types of infrastructure may be damaged, which could, for instance, bring food transport to a halt.  On the other hand, increasing precipitation may also open up opportunities, for example, for wet nature.

NAS Conceptual diagram “It is becoming wetter”

The image below shows the conceptual diagram “It is becoming wetter” of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). The conceptual diagram provides an overview of how increased precipitation may affect the various sectors.