The Netherlands needs to make hard choices about how to deal with climate change because the Dutch are going to feel more impact from heat, drought and flooding in the years to come, the government’s environmental assessment agency PBL said on Tuesday.

Coping with climat change will require both short-term technical changes to limit the impact and long-term measures focused on spatial planning, the PBL said in a new report.

“Without action, by 2050 thousands of people may die early because of extreme heat and rising temperatures,” the agency said. “Hundreds of thousands of homes risk developing foundation problems because of the drought. Nature and water quality will come under increasing pressure and the number of wildfires will double.”

PBL director Marko Hekkert said climate adaptation is inevitable. “The question is not whether the Netherlands is prepared, but if we are making the choices that will keep the country strong in a warmer, drier and wetter climate,” he said.

Excessive heat, for example, leads to health problems and lower labour productivity, while drought will restrict the availability of fresh water and will hit nature and farming, the PBL says.

“Excessive rain will damage homes and infrastructure and can lead to a breakdown in vital services such as energy and communications.”

At the same time, all this will lead to damage to homes, rising food prices and higher healthcare costs, which will directly impact citizens as well.

In order to make the right political choices, the Netherlands has to decide what level of protection is acceptable, who will pay for this protection, and what should be prioritised, the PBL said.

The agency has also called on the government to do more to raise awareness of the issues among the general public, with information campaigns, warning systems and disaster plans. This would mean people are better able to cope with the impact, the PBL said.