Annapolis City Officials Meet with Netherlands Delegation on Resiliency and Sea Level Rise
Annapolis, MD – Today, officials from the City of Annapolis, including Mayor Gavin Buckley, City Manager Michael Mallinoff, Public Works Director David Jarrell and Office of Emergency Management Deputy Director David Mandell, will meet an official delegation from the Netherlands to discuss resiliency efforts.
The Dutch delegation is headed by Vice Minister of Infrastructure Michèle Blom. The delegation will first take a skipjack tour of the Annapolis Harbor, with support from the Annapolis Maritime Museum, then return to City Hall for a Special Work Session of the Annapolis City Council. The visit will take place on Wednesday, October 12 from 1:30 p.m. to approximately 4:45 p.m.
Flood control is an important issue for both Annapolis and for the Netherlands, a country with approximately 280 miles (451 km) of coastline in the northwestern part of Europe. Inundation threats from the North Sea are exacerbated because much of that coastline sits at or below sea level (same as Annapolis).
While the Netherlands is a small country, more than 17 million people call it home. In terms of natural hazards, flooding is a constant danger. The Dutch have, for centuries, used a system of dikes, dams and berms to protect from storms. Today, the country faces the same challenges American cities face from the threat of rising seas. The delegation is looking at unique infrastructure plans and came to Annapolis seeking ideas.
“This visit is all about sharing solutions,” said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. “Annapolis has faced threats from nuisance flooding for decades, but we couldn’t seem to come together on a consensus agreement to fix it for our residents and businesses. We are now moving forward on our plan to reimagine City Dock. I am anxious to hear what our Dutch counterparts think of our ideas and to hear what innovative solutions they’ve deployed that might work along our City’s 17 miles of coastline.”
