ABSTRACT
Rotterdam is considered the marine gateway to Western Europe and is situated on the banks of the ‘New Meuse’ River (‘Nieuwe Maas’), one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rivers Rhine and Meuse. Rotterdam has a long history as a port and is currently the second largest port in the world in terms of tonnage. It is, however, also a vulnerable location to floods as most of the city’s neighbourhoods are located below sea level. The harbour areas lie several metres above sea level and are all human-made residential areas, which were developed over the last centuries.
