The Netherlands and Colombia are to join forces in a project to reduce the danger of the Cauca River near Cali flooding. The Dutch embassy in the Colombian capital Bogotá announced that the Netherlands is setting aside 600,000 euros for the 2-and-a-half-year project.
At the moment, many rivers in the South American country breech their banks as a result of heavy rainfall. The Cauca River near the southern city of Cali is also susceptible to flooding. In the Dutch-Colombian project flood plains upriver, south of Cali, will be expanded to prevent flooding downstream.
Introducing flood plains, which can be used when necessary, will ease the situation downstream and reduce the danger of inundation elsewhere.
The system is based on Dutch techniques used in areas of reclaimed land and floodplains or washlands. In the Netherlands, these areas can be flooded when water levels in the rivers get too high.
(nc/jric)
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