Let the flood come

There is a saying that says: “God created the world, but the Dutch created The Netherlands”. The Netherlands (literally, “The low countries”), has approximately one quarter of its surface below sea level, which comprises 60% of the inhabitants of The Netherlands. Some points reach as low as 6.76 meters below sea level. But how does the Netherlands cope with this and make an enjoyable living environment for its inhabitants? For more than a century this has been the case. The Dutch are used to “Think the unthinkable, and prepare for it”.

http://davidmixner.typepad.com

http://davidmixner.typepad.com

Before talking about Dutch Urban planning, we need to understand the roots water management in the Netherlands and how it has affected its urban planning. The Netherlands has to deal in terms of water, with 4 rivers and the North Sea, having the risk of flooding due to its low sea levels. Let’s look at one experience of the past and how the Dutch have learned from this and have implemented mechanisms of water management, (highly in demand due to climate change and the rises of sea level that this might bring), that work up to today. The way they have planned to protect their cities and the protection of one of the most important seaports in Europe, are worth looking at.

Examples of a situation where the Dutch had to deal with water management and their cities was in 1287 and 1916. One most remembered , is the North Sea storm of 1953, which caused serious flooding, leaving over 1800 casualties.

This resulted in the setting up of a flood protection program, including adaptation to climate change, incorporating it into the urban planning. Some examples are the building of sand dunes and beaches at the coasts of The Hague and also the many dikes and dams.

Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier http://en.academic.ru.

Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier http://en.academic.ru.

According to Vleuten & Disco (2004), this is a defensive mechanism against the water. A concrete example is the building of the “Afsluitdijk”, literally “The closing dike”, from 1927 to 1932, being 30.5 km long. The building of this dike resulted in the reclaiming the land of the IJsselmeer. This is how, in 1986, the new province of Flevoland was born. Some other examples are the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier and the Maeslantkering, a storm surge barrier, among others forming part of the Delta Works, to protect the Netherlands from flooding.

Maeslant Barrier http://www.mimoa.eu

Maeslant Barrier http://www.mimoa.eu

An offensive mechanism can be, according to Vleuten & Disco (2004), land reclamation (reclaimed land also being called “Polder”), considering the high population density of The Netherlands (488 people per km2). Without precise exact numbers of “landfilling” the Dutch have done, it is clear that it is a substantial quantity of land. Here is where it gets interesting to look at how the Urban Planning of this land is done around water management. More than a decade ago, Dutch architects studied the possibility of building houses, so called amphibious houses, that would resist possible flooding and adapt to the low level conditions of the vulnerable cities, even creating new neighbourhoods: maritime cities. The way these houses respond to flooding, is simply by floating on the surface and are made with a more advanced technology than simple regular boat houses. Growing cities demand more living space, and for a country like The Netherlands, this seems like the perfect solution, considering that in 1995, 250.000 people had to be evacuated from Rotterdam due to serious treat of floods.

Maritime city. http://www.hollandexploringtours.nl/

Maritime city. http://www.hollandexploringtours.nl/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also interesting to observe how water management is incorporated in the urban design of the Dutch cities. A study from the University of Delft, entitled: ‘Water in Amsterdam’s South-East District”, tries to integrate water storage and water discharge directly into the urban planning process. Due to the growth of cities, additional water storage is needed. Attractive water designs should be integrated in the designs of the future cities, contributing to public realm. The picture below shows how water has been included in the design of new neighbourhoods.

http://newurbanquestion.ifou.org/

http://newurbanquestion.ifou.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have seen some defensive and offensive mechanisms The Netherlands has been implementing, and has been experimenting with. One thing is clear. Dutch water experts have shared their ideas with among others New Orleans, Dubai, Mozambique, Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. And they have to keep on developing new ideas themselves in order to meet new demands on the area of for example housing, offices and ports that are immune to rising water levels. As a water management expert from the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and environment puts it in an article by The Guardian: “There is no end to this. It’s a continuous process. We do not want to be surprised again.”

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