Flood protection is financed by taxes paid by water users to the regional water authorities, along with general taxation (this also contributes to the relatively low willingness to pay for flood insurance documented in several studies). Currently, the government is moving tow'ards a new system of improvement of security standards for dykes, referred to as the multiple layer safety approach (Box 5.3). However, under the current arrangements, the amount and coverage of such compensation is left to political discretion and not determined in advance.