The Netherlands faces a major fundamental problem, according to advice from the Living Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) Council. 425,000 buildings already suffer from subsidence problems, or will suffer from them within ten years.
This usually concerns buildings built before 1970 that stand on wooden piles, or buildings that stand directly on the ground.
The board concludes that the approach taken against subsidence to date remains “too low-key.” The authority calls on the government to move quickly to limit the damage as much as possible. If all advice is followed, it will cost €12.5 billion spread over the next 12 years. The damage resulting from the subsidence problem could reach 54 billion euros.
According to Rli, this could lead to a national enterprise crisis if action is not taken in time. For example, the number of affected homes could double, that is, the problem affects almost a million buildings.
A broken foundation can have several causes. This could be a decrease in the groundwater level, drought, or work in the area.
Submitted by Rli advice Thursday during a press conference. The report was presented to Hugo de Jonge, the outgoing Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, and to Mark Harpers, the outgoing Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.
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