CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY GLOBAL warming and is alarming many nations. Dire predictions by many experts say that sea levels will rise by as much as five feet or more by the end of the century. Extreme and unpredictable weather patterns and heavier rainfall are becoming evident. Unfortunately, many are not technically or financially capable of coping with the impending disaster--except the Dutch. The Dutch, who have been the masters in taming the ocean, are now finding ways to climate-proof their country, The Netherlands. Dealing with rising tides is nothing new to the Dutch as they have been doing it since the Roman times when they built their first drainage canals to turn swamp into agricultural land. By the 1400s the Dutch had harnessed water pumps into windmills, thus expanding larger tracts of land from the sea. Today, 60 percent of The Netherlands, which is basically built on reclaimed land that they call polders, is below sea level. The water is kept at bay by dikes, pumping stations, dams and huge storm barriers together with canal dikes, basin dikes and holding ponds. New challenge The new challenge facing the Dutch today is bigger than anything they have faced in the past, however. They now realize that simply building higher dikes is no longer possible as Europe continues to endure wetter winters and hotter summers--signs of a grave new danger.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSED BY GLOBAL warming and is alarming many nations. Dire predictions by many experts say that sea levels will rise by as much as five feet or more by the end of the century. Extreme and unpredictable weather patterns and heavier rainfall are becoming evident. Unfortunately, many are not technically or financially capable of coping with the impending disaster--except the Dutch.
The Dutch, who have been the masters in taming the ocean, are now finding ways to climate-proof their country, The Netherlands.
Dealing with rising tides is nothing new to the Dutch as they have been doing it since the Roman times when they built their first drainage canals to turn swamp into agricultural land. By the 1400s the Dutch had harnessed water pumps into windmills, thus expanding larger tracts of land from the sea.
Today, 60 percent of The Netherlands, which is basically built on reclaimed land that they call polders, is below sea level. The water is kept at bay by dikes, pumping stations, dams and huge storm barriers together with canal dikes, basin dikes and holding ponds.
New challenge
The new challenge facing the Dutch today is bigger than anything they have faced in the past, however. They now realize that simply building higher dikes is no longer possible as Europe continues to endure wetter winters and hotter summers--signs of a grave new danger.
Building massive concrete dams or barriers is not a green approach and is known to fail.
The Dutch Hoogheemraadschap (Waterboard) has investigated the potential risks for heavy storms and sea level rise years ago - there are a few spots which need improvements, but most of the water barriers have been estimated safe for the next 100 years. Note also that those improvements consist of increasing the height of the barriers (which are generally earthy or sandy).
The policy on making way for water has been ongoing and especially since the 1995 river floods, it's not exactly news. And the focus on "floating houses" is there because councils are ignorant enough to allow housing to be built in the river's storm beds which, surprise surprise, results in occasional flooding...
Misleading article but extra points for not referring to "Holland".
