Flood infrastructure Asset management and Investment in Renovation, adaptation and maintenance (FAIR)

Flooding is a major risk for loss of life and economic damage in the North Sea Region. Flood protection infrastructure, such as dykes, sluices and dams are ageing (many are 70-100y old) and often their performance is no longer at the desired level, requiring renovation, adaptation, and maintenance all across the region.

The overall objective of the FAIR project is to reduce flood risk across the North Sea Region by demonstrating climate change adaptation solutions to improve the performance of flood protection infrastructure. FAIR demonstrates improved approaches for cost-effective upgrading and maintenance, optimising investments across national-system-asset levels, as well as applying adaptive and innovative technical designs.

FAIR builds upon North Sea Region INTERREG IV results (i.e. MARE, SAWA) and state-of-the-art EU research from its partners (Deltares, TUHH, Sayers). FAIR guides the full-scale implementation of reinforcement, upgrade and maintenance programmes of dykes, sluices, dams, flood gates and pumping stations at target sites in United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden. Through a transnational approach, FAIR gathers the major asset owners in the North Sea Region, the first international collaboration of its kind.