Samenvatting

The Sloe area is an unembanked industrial port area in Zeeland. As sea levels rise, this area will experience increased flood risks. This is partly due to climate change, which is causing sea level rise to accelerate, and partly due to the area's vulnerability because it is located outside the dike ring, in an unembanked area. The critical infrastructures and Seveso companies handling hazardous/chemical materials improves the impact of floodings could have on the area, creating considerable environmental and safety risks.

To address these challenges, this research focuses on improving crisis management measures and providing spatial planning recommendations specific for the Sloe area. Therefore, the main research question is: "How can the Sloe area be better prepared for the increasing risk of flooding due to accelerating sea-level rise until 2100?"
The flood maps and environmental impact analyses revealed that the Sloe area is highly vulnerable to flooding, even to low floods of 20 cm in height. Even moderate sea-level rise significantly reduces the return time for flood events. If this would happen then major risks like the failure of critical infrastructure, the release of hazardous/chemical materials, and operational disruptions in the industrial port area could occur.
The Interviews that were held with the stakeholders of the area pointed out several gaps and weaknesses in current crisis management measures, including limited real-time flood monitoring, insufficient coordination between companies and authorities, and insufficient measures to secure hazardous/chemical materials during floods. The Long-term planning for rising sea levels and the high impact of storm surges was also found to be lacking according to the interviewees.

Therefore, a combination of innovative strategies is recommended:
1. Improving crisis management by raising critical infrastructure, implementing telemetric monitoring systems, and strengthening emergency coordination between stakeholders.
2. Enhancing spatial planning through measures such as raising quay heights and constructing secondary containment systems for hazardous/chemical materials.
3. Strengthening collaboration among companies, local authorities, and emergency services to align response protocols and share (anti-flood) resources/equipment effectively.
This research concluded that improving upon the existing crisis management plans, combined with long-term spatial planning and stakeholder collaboration, is most important to improve the Sloe area's resilience to flooding. By implementing these measures, the Sloe area can better prepare for the risks posed by the accelerating rise of the sea level and protect its critical infrastructure and industrial port operations.