Recent years have witnessed an increase of large-scale marine and coastal infrastructure projects around the world. Such projects have wreaked havoc on coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Between 2012 and 2023, the Netherlands provided € 8.4 billion in insurance to Dutch dredging companies and their financiers to cover their involvement in such projects. This public financial support was given through the Dutch Export Credit Agency, Atradius Dutch State Business (Atradius DSB).
This report demonstrates how Atradius DSB, through its support of Dutch dredgers Boskalis and Van Oord, is linked to serious social, environmental and human rights impacts. Based on joint research with local civil society organisations, the report analyses seven Dutch dredging projects supported by the Dutch government through its export credit facility. This publication aims to show where practices differ from standards, starting from local findings of partners. In doing so, underlying flaws in the system are exposed, including involuntary displacement of communities, repression, loss of livelihoods and ecosystem destruction. It shows how project governance is routinely dominated by vested-interests and unresponsive, unaccountable and not transparent towards affected communities. Herewith the publication aims to show where policy and standards -including its implementation- requires improvement.