Port of Rotterdam, Flood Risk and Climate Adaptation Strategy

The Port of Rotterdam has undertaken comprehensive climate risk assessment and adaptation planning, with scenario analysis of sea level rise and flood hazards informing infrastructure and operational decisions (Port of Rotterdam, 2021).

National 2023 projections indicate projected sea level rise ranging from +26 centimetres to +124 centimetres by 2100, with a working assumption adopted by the port of +35 centimetres by 2050 and +85 centimetres by 2100. These projections, based on the Rijkswaterstaat Hydra-NL database and KNMI climate projections, establish the basis for physical risk scenarios under which flood risk, operational disruptions, and economic losses may occur.

Between 2015 and 2021, the Port of Rotterdam developed flood risk adaptation strategies for all port areas, combining quantitative risk assessment with stakeholder engagement to identify cost effective mitigation measures (Port of Rotterdam, 2021).

The port's 2022 adaptation strategy report estimated expected annual economic damage in the port and industrial complex of about EUR 14 million under current conditions, rising to about EUR 28 million with 35 centimeters and about EUR 78 million with 85 centimeters of sea level rise. (Port of Rotterdam Authority and City of Rotterdam, 2022, Table 3-1). The historical ENHANCE assessment and the 2022 port strategy use different assessment settings and loss measures; their figures should not be read as a single updated time series.

The Port of Rotterdam's adaptation strategies identify tailored measures for specific port areas, recognizing differences in flood probability, operational characteristics, and future development dynamics. Adaptation measures include, among others, raising vulnerable land locally, waterproofing facilities and assets, installing flood barriers, relocating sensitive equipment to higher elevations, and establishing emergency response protocols for flood events (European Environment Agency, 2025). Each measure has been assigned to one of four implementation time horizons: immediate implementation, before 2050, before 2100, or after 2100.

The port's governance structure incorporates a living protocol whereby adaptation strategies are evaluated and adjusted approximately every 10 years to reflect actual and projected sea level rise trajectories and new climate science findings (European Environment Agency, 2025). The Port of Rotterdam's climate adaptation framework has been documented as a case study on the European Environment Agency's Climate ADAPT platform.