The Delta Project was an endeavour to dam the estuaries of the Rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt in the Southwestern part of the Netherlands that started after the disastrous storm flood of 1953 and was finished in 1986. Here the authors discuss the policy analysis that led to the political choice in 1976 to keep the Eastern Scheldt open, contrary to the aims of the original project. They also discuss the problems posed by the management, design and construction of a storm surge barrier of gigantic size to control the estuary, while preserving most of its original ecology.
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