A team of Flemish master architects have been working together with the Flemish government departments of Urban Planning and Public Works, and with the Maritime Services Division. They have come up with four possible future scenarios, according to newspaper De Standaard. In all of these scenarios, experts are trying to "maximise the qualities of the regions concerned", and are thinking about the prospects and long-term quality of life in the wake of global warming and rising sea levels.

These are the four possible scenarios:

The Bipole scenario, probably the most spectacular one of the four, entails the entire western half of the coast being "maximally given up" as the report states, and surrendered to nature. So, basically, the coastline will be split in half. "There will be no more active investments in keeping out the sea, or in urban development or productivity. The western coast will be actively de-urbanised and made green again", the Bipole Report states.

The Zone scenario, involving the fortification of a narrow strip along the entire coastline, and water being piped to polder zones further land inward. In addition there will be a new, faster mobility network.

The Archipelago scenario, in which residential areas will all remain as they are now. Larger patches of hinterland polder zones that are relatively uncultivated will be used to collect excess water.

The Mosaic scenario, which involves a further urbanisation of the coastline and a cultivation of the polders for agriculture through meticulous artificial water management. To work, this plan needs many good new roads and landside canals.

One of the master architects, Joachim Declerck, says that action is necessary: "We will have to prepare nature to absorb sea water, and we will have to adapt agriculture in the region. We cannot just keep on building and building."