Join Maarten on-site in Ostend for an exclusive look behind-the-scenes at one of our key flood defense systems.
At the Caemerlinckxgeleed, all rainwater from Ostend and a 100 km² polder area is discharged into the sea — by gravity at low tide, and by powerful pumps during storm surges.
This critical installation features an automated screen cleaner that filters out floating debris to protect our pumps and to prevent pollution at sea.
Equipped with over 50 sensors and backup power systems, the infrastructure is built for resilience. Its advanced software ensures continuous operation but also requires ongoing updates to minimize failure risk.
Within STORMSAFE, we aim to strengthen these kinds of systems across Europe. We learn from our partners and share our expertise—like our redundant safety protocols and remote diagnostics—to build smarter, more robust climate adaptation infrastructure.
Watch Maarten’s vlog to see how technical solutions are helping to secure Ostend’s future.
This video was made during the STORM_SAFE annual meeting in the city of Ostend on May 20-22, 2025. Copyright on video and images: Anja Daleman.