Editing Delta Works (section)

== Current status ==
The original plan was completed by the [[Europoortkering]] which required the construction of the [[Maeslantkering]] in the [[Nieuwe Waterweg]] between [[Maassluis]] and [[Hook of Holland]] and the [[Hartelkering]] in the Hartel Canal near [[Spijkenisse]]. The works were declared finished after almost forty years in 1997.

Due to climate change and relative sea-level rise, the dikes will eventually have to be made higher and wider. This is a long term uphill battle against the sea. The needed level of flood protection and the resulting costs are a recurring subject of debate, and involve a complicated decision-making process. In 1995 it was agreed in the Delta Plan Large Rivers and [[Room for the River (Netherlands)|Room for the River]] projects that about 500 kilometres of insufficient dyke revetments were reinforced and replaced along the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde between 1995 and 2015. After 2015, under the High Water Protection Program, additional upgrades are made.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rijcken|first1=T|title=A critical approach to some new ideas about the Dutch flood risk system|journal=Research in Urbanism Series|date=2015|volume=3|issue=1|doi=10.7480/rius.3.842|s2cid=110283338}}</ref>

In September 2008, the Delta Commission presided by politician [[Cees Veerman]] advised in a report that the Netherlands would need a massive new building program to strengthen the country's water defenses against the anticipated effects of global warming for the next 190 years. The plans included drawing up worst-case scenarios for evacuations and included more than €100 billion, or $144 billion, in new spending through the year 2100 for measures, such as broadening coastal [[dunes]] and strengthening sea and river [[Levee|dikes]].
The commission said the country must plan for a rise in the North Sea of 1.3 meters by 2100 and 4 meters by 2200.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/news/03iht-03dutch.15877468.html |title=Dutch draw up drastic measures to defend coast against rising seas| newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 August 2008 |access-date=20 October 2010}}</ref>