In the Rotterdam neighborhood Bloemhof, many homes are subsiding further and further. Half of the homes do not have proper foundations, and climate change is making the problems worse. Residents, housing associations, private landlords, and the municipality are all grappling with the question of how the neighborhood can be made future-proof. Dutch newspaper Trouw discussed the issue with Zac Taylor and Sandra Phlippen.
Geographer Zac Taylor, who is affiliated with the Resilient Delta initiative of TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Erasmus MC, explains what is happening in Bloemhof. It’s a district where many issues come together: different types of foundations, subsiding streets, water damage, social vulnerability.
Foundation problems
Some homes stand on wooden piles, others on concrete piles, but a large share — about 40 percent — is not fixed to a deeper, stable layer of sand at all. It is a complex mix. 'Sometimes, in a single row of terraced houses, one property subsides much faster than the next, causing cracks.'
There are also other challenges, such as fragile trust in government. 'Addressing these different types of problems requires good coordination for the area as a whole,' Taylor says.
Falling home values
Economist Sandra Phlippen, Chief Sustainability Officer at ABN AMRO and an EUR alumna, emphasizes that climate risks are increasingly affecting home values. Foundation problems, water damage, and a low energy label can pile up and lead to greater financial risks for residents, as well as for banks that provide mortgages.
That is why, according to Phlippen, it is important to prevent sudden drops in value and to think ahead about repairs, financing, and how costs should be shared. 'In a neighborhood like Bloemhof, many issues are at play at the same time, and everyone will have to take part of the loss,' she tells Trouw.
Financial solutions
The situation in Bloemhof shows that climate adaptation is not only a technical or spatial challenge, but also a financial one. After all, who pays for foundation repairs, water storage, greening, or demolition and new construction? And how do you prevent the costs from falling on residents who cannot afford them?
These questions were also central last month during the expert day "Finance Solutions for a Resilient Delta" of the Resilient Delta initiative, where Trouw was present. Around 100 scientists, policymakers, and leaders from different sectors gathered to discuss financial solutions for two major challenges that come together in the Netherlands: the housing challenge and climate risks.
Doing nothing is not an option
Bloemhof was an important case during the keynote panel with Sandra Phlippen, Lidwin van Velden, and Geeke Feiter. The Rotterdam neighborhood shows how complicated this question is in practice: the damage is extensive, the costs are high, and the financial risks are increasing. Doing nothing is not an option, but the bill cannot simply be passed on to residents either. That is why researchers, governments, banks, and other parties are looking for new ways to distribute costs and risks more fairly.
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Read the full article in Trouw (in Dutch)
The Resilient Delta initiative is one of five programs of Convergence, an alliance between TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC. Discover more about the Resilient Delta initiative.
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