The Netherlands: Holland Against the Sea

WHOOOSHH: How Winds Combatted Flooding(or tried to)

1953 Flood

- Most of the Netherlands is below sea level causing it to flood frequently.

- Netherlands were the leaders of trade overseas in the 1600's

- Almost every part of the Netherlands have been affected by human development. 

- Sand dunes and dikes were originally used to prevent water destruction

Peat Moss

- Peat destruction exacerbated the flood problem

Drainage Mills

- First mill was created in 1408

- Brings water to canals

- Solved the problem of drainage with polders and sluices.

What happened to them?

- Economic decline

- Pileworms

- Industrial Revolution and steam

Ethics

Oosterscheldekering

- Saline and farming
- Creation by destruction
- Storm of 1953, had incomplete repairs. Brought up issues: safety, diversity of wildlife, landscape aesthetics, preservation of objects of cultural history.
- Damming river mouths would create dead water lakes through pollution

Discussion

1. The Netherlands is a good example of people vs nature. Do you think it's sustainable to live there? 

2. What are some ways humans can continue to live in the Netherlands without completely destroying the environment?
3. What do you think of people's efforts to try to live in the Netherlands?

2006

Land Reclamation

2010

Works Cited

• http://www.planetware.com/map/netherlands-kingdom-of-the-netherlands-map-nl-nlreg.htm
• —http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11069-008-9227-5/fulltext.html
• —http://www.let.rug.nl/polders/boekje/types.htm
• —http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/zoek_e.php
• http://gardenrant.com/2009/04/ken-druse-dishes-the-dirt-about-peat-moss.html
• http://coastalcare.org/2010/12/land-reclamation-at-rotterdam-netherlands/