NEDECO | Netherlands Engineering Consultants

Karen van Bentum

Company:: Royal Haskoning
Division:: Royal Haskoning Nigeria Office
Project:: Lagos State Coastal Flooding Study

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About

I am Karen van Bentum (25) and I just started my MSc thesis in Coastal Engineering. After my BSc in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology, it was an easy choice for me to continue my studies in the track Hydraulic Engineering. I have always been fascinated by the dynamic, ever changing character of the sea and its adjacent beaches, so the opportunity to study and learn all about Coastal Engineering was perfect to me.

During my Bachelor, I have been abroad twice already. At the Polytechnic University of Barcelona, I followed several hydraulic engineering courses as an Erasmus student, during half a year. And one year later, I left to Cuba with three other DUT students to elaborate our Masters Project. So, one could say I like to ‘broaden my horizon’, as we say in the Netherlands.

When I was looking for a subject for my Master Thesis, I soon got in contact with Royal Haskoning. I got offered the opportunity to perform my thesis about the Eko Atlantic City project, in Lagos, Nigeria. I will elaborate a study on the long-term morphological behaviour of this coast, both under the influence of nature and the various man-made structures.

First, a literature study has to be done to obtain insight in a.o. the dominant processes and mechanisms acting on the coast. With the results of this study, I will set up a morphological model, first in Unibest-CL and subsequently in Delft3D.

And of course, the coast of Lagos will be visited too! On this blog, I will keep you posted about my fieldtrips and the progress of my graduation study.

Lagos State Coastal Flooding Study

Type of project: Consultancy services, engineering, design
Location: Lagos (Nigeria)
Continent: Africa
Company: Royal Haskoning
Client: Lagos State Government
Period: February 2010 – August 2010
Contract value: 250.000 Euro
Objective: The objective of the project is to provide the Lagos State Government with a coastal flood risk management plan which can be used in ensuring a sustainable development of the highly valuable coastline.

Project information

The State of Lagos is bordered to the south by 180 kilometres of Atlantic Ocean coastline, running from the Benin border in the west to the borders with Ogun State in the east. The Atlantic Ocean has brought prosperity to the country of Nigeria; the port and city of Lagos has grown into an economic hotspot for trade and commerce of regional and global importance, benefiting from its presence close to the ocean. Nevertheless, the ocean also brings a risk. Repeated flooding of coastal areas occurs over time, damaging important and valuable infrastructure, housing and commercial assets. Also, erosion is observed at several locations. In order to successfully combat the threat and hazardous effects of coastal flooding and erosion, a Coastal Flooding Management Plan needs to be drafted.

Description of project

This Plan forms a strong basis for technical intervention measures, urban planning and institutional frameworks. Result of this study is a comprehensive Coastal Flooding Management Plan. This Plan will include detailed maps of the coastal strip showing areas which are most vulnerable to flooding. Also, the plan will include (technical) measures which can effectively combat the threat of coastal flooding and erosion. The project will be executed over a period of about a year.