Sluices and pumping stations

Sluices can protect seaports against intruding seawater and flooding due to rising sea levels.

The sluices are established in the port entrance or in a watercourse running through the city. A pumping station will often have to be established together with the sluices to pump the water from the watercourse into the port when the sluices are closed.

When the sluices are closed, wildlife is prevented from passing between the port and the watercourse. The sluices should therefore not be closed for longer than necessary.

In other words, there are conflicting considerations to take into account when establishing sluices. The sluices must be closed when the sea levels exceed the defined spot height to reduce the flooding. However, the sluices should only be closed when necessary and for the shortest possible time to allow wildlife to pass through as much as possible.

A pumping station is typically established with the sluices. The pumping station is to ensure that water does not accumulate in the watercourse and lead to flooding and that it is instead pumped into the port under controlled conditions.