Hamme (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The 165-hectare Wal-Zwin flood control area in Hamme opened, featuring a lowered dike and lock system. Krista Maes and officials from De Vlaamse Waterweg, Natuur en Bos, and Scheldt Valley National Park attended.
As VRT News reported, in Hamme, East Flanders, Belgium, the Wal-Zwin flood control area has now officially opened to provide the regional flood protection. The space is 165ha and will hold additional water from the Scheldt River when there are high levels of runoff.
A specially lowered dike allows water to flow into the area in a controlled way. Officials mentioned that this system protects thousands of homes and families in nearby towns from potential damage.
How is the 165-hectare Wal-Zwin flood area in Hamme protecting homes and nature?
Officials say the Wal-Zwin project is gaining attention far beyond Belgium. Krista Maes, managing director of the Flemish Waterway, highlighted how this project showcases the capabilities of a small country related to safety, environmental protection, and resilience. She mentioned that tourists from Europe and around the world come to study the flood protection systems in Flanders.
Officials mentioned that the Wal-Zwin area now has a lock system that allows river water to flow in every day. This creates a “tidal nature” where water levels change naturally. The daily water flow has created a new habitat for birds. Species such as the avocet, oystercatcher, and little ringed plover are now living in the area.
“We protect the population from flooding and simultaneously create a beautiful nature reserve,”
Krista Maes said.
The renovations to transform the site into a flood plain have been finished, but the area will further evolve in the next few years. Officials pointed out that Wal-Zwin is an important component of the Scheld Valley National Park project. It forms an important link in a network of protected areas along the Scheldt River.
The Wal-Zwin flood control area located in Hamme is part of the Sigma Plan. The Sigma Plan is a large-scale flood protection program that started in 1977 after the heavy storm surge in 1976. Its goal is to protect Flanders from flooding by heightening levees, constructing controlled flood areas along the river, and creating a storm surge barrier in Antwerp. In 2021, a ring levee was constructed to protect residential homes in the vicinity, measuring 6 metres in height and 3 kilometres in length.
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