Water Management in the Netherlands
How is it possible for a country to exist when two-thirds of it lies below sea level? The Dutch are the experts, as they have managed to hold back the sea and settle more than five million people on land that would not exist without human innovation and technology. Based on their delta management plan, massive steel sea barriers, and green-frastructure for natural flood control, the Dutch have adjusted their technology and methods to past failures and have learned to adopt new designs and technologies on the job.
In the Netherlands, the attitude toward water management is that they have little choice but to invest money in flood and storm surge protection. In addition, excess water must be dealt with, using parking garages or river beds as reservoirs and even compensating farmers to flood their land. Although it seems everything is under control, the Dutch continuously face challenges when keeping the ocean at bay. Saltwater intrusion is an increasing concern, as it threatens drinking water quality. River dykes can crack causing floods, especially when the peatland gets too dry due to excessive draining. With increasing urbanization, a changing climate which will bring more rainfall, and sea level rise, there are fewer porous surfaces for the water to infiltrate and a greater volume of water to manage. In addition, much of the Dutch population wants to live by the water, and so, displacement of people triggers concern among water management experts. Soft infrastructure is becoming an ever popular option (i.e., coastal wetland reclamation), but other large-scale solutions are required.
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| The majority of Dutch land is vulnerable to flooding from storm surges and sea level rise |
Sea Wall Technology Design and Operation
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| These tubes fill with water enabling the wall to sink and provide extra weight to hold back the ocean |
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| The farthest right sea wall design was selected among multiple submissions by private companies |
According to our tour guide, a trained civil engineer at the Maeslantkering sea walls west of Rotterdam, in 2050, rivers will have to discharge three times more water. In addition, the Netherlands will see higher flow over a shorter period of time. Therefore, infrastructure systems must manage water at peak moments. The sea wall site we visited consisted of 15,000 tons of steel on each side of the gate, which is the double the weight of the Eiffel Tower. What's really important is investing a lot in the very beginning. Construction costs and maintainability are important when choosing the design. To avoid 700 billion damages cost from one catastrophe, Dutch water managers and engineers invest 1 billion annually in their sea gate technology. After all, these sea gates help protect at least half a million people. These workers bear a lot of responsibility in keeping major urban centers in Western and Southern Holland safe. In emergency situations, workers are provided with food, coffee, and tea, but no beer.
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A miniature model of the Keringhuis sea walls shows the complex design involved
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| The thickness of hollow tube surfaces is 54 cm |
The design chosen for its innovative features, which won over multiple designs submitted by companies, consists of tubes, which fill up with sea water so that they can be lowered into the water and add extra weight to hold back the sea. Safety is a major concern. While the ball joint was made "with the precision of a watchmaker", according to our tour guide, the computer systems also represent a vital component of the sea gates for their ability to calculate when the next high tide will come. Even the Titanic's sinking in 1912 serves as a failure that can be learned from; all compartments on the gates are now water-tight, not just the ones at the bottom. The hydraulic engine has worked for 40 years, and due to the circular electric grid, even in the case of power failure, the technology should operate when needed. When asked about impending sea level rise, our tour guide appeared nonchalant. "This is easy" he said, "all that must be done is raising the concrete pad below the gates. It isn't a cheap construction project, but the Dutch have little choice but to find answers through constant experimenting with engineering and design.
Coming from Miami, FL, part of a metropolitan region with five million people, I know that sudden sea level rise and flooding is a serious concern. Copying and pasting the Dutch solution of sea barriers is definitely unreasonable, as Miami's land surface consists of porous limestone. Pretty simply, it is a sponge which will soak up all the water from the ocean. In this case, even a full-proof sea barrier cannot keep back the ocean. I asked our tour guide if Dutch water managers have worked with other cities on the issue of sea level rise. He said that Dutch technical institute students can work with students from other cities (Galveston, Texas is one such place where such a partnership unfolds as we speak) to create place-based solutions based on experimental water management approaches. Just like the Dutch have to, each locality has a unique situation and its people must learn what works and what doesn't while on the job. Miami, in my opinion, might be able to consult the Dutch on creating floating cities, although it might only be used to buy some time before the city becomes uninhabitable. Nonetheless, if there's one thing we can learn in Miami from the Dutch, it's that we must learn to live with water, since we cannot always fight it.
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