Rotterdam has lived with water for centuries. But as sea levels rise and flooding becomes more frequent, the city faces increasingly difficult choices. How far should we go to protect homes in vulnerable areas? And what happens when insurers and banks begin to see those homes as too risky? In The Price of Staying, a documentary by the Resilient Delta initiative, researcher Zac Taylor explores the choices facing residents, governments and financial institutions as they confront the growing risks of living in a changing delta.
- Date
- Tuesday 1 Dec 2026, 17:00 - 18:00
- Type
- General
- Spoken Language
- English
- Location
LantarenVenster, Otto Reuchlinweg 996, 3072 MD Rotterdam
- Ticket information
Reserve your spot in advance, as places are limited. You can register here.
Residents of Rotterdam’s Noordereiland know what flooding looks like. Situated in the middle of the river, the island lies outside the protection of the city’s dikes. When water levels rise, quays, streets and basements already flood. And as climate risks intensify, this will happen more often.
Residents, the municipality, insurers and banks face difficult choices about how to protect the island, who should pay for it and how much risk people can reasonably be expected to live with.
The Price of Staying
In The Price of Staying, we follow researcher Zac Taylor as he meets the people grappling with these questions. On Rotterdam’s Noordereiland, he speaks with residents who are already dealing with the consequences of high water, including Ellen van Bodegom, a local community organizer who brings residents together to advocate for the island’s future.
Taylor also speaks with researchers Siobhan Airey (Erasmus University Rotterdam) and Fransje Hooimeijer (TU Delft), Johan Verlinde from the Municipality of Rotterdam, Delta Programme Commissioner Co Verdaas, and Geeke Feiter from the Dutch Association of Insurers. Together, they offer different perspectives on the difficult choices facing Rotterdam.
Première in LantarenVenster
The Price of Staying premieres on Tuesday 1 December at LantarenVenster in Rotterdam. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and drinks. Admission is free, but registration is required.
- More information
The Price of Staying is a film produced by the Resilient Delta initiative, a collaboration between Delft University of Technology, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC. Find out more about The Price of Staying and book your place in advance. Places are limited.
