TedEd: Why isn’t the Netherlands underwater?

A TedEd by Stefan Al

The Netherlands has long been battered by storms and floods. In 1953, a surge in the North Sea flooded the Dutch coastline, killing nearly 2,000 people. But 54 years later, a similar storm was prevented by something known as the Delta Works. The storm was detected by state-of-the-art sensors, which activated Maeslantkering, two 240 meter steel arms closed across the channel, protecting the Netherlands. They moved on 680 ton ball joints to move in rhythm with the waves. These barriers are part of the larger system mentioned above, the Delta Works. The country is located on the delta of three major European Rivers, and nearly 25% of its territory is below sea level, making the area prone to floods. After 1953, the Dutch government created the Delta Commision. It’s mission? Protect the entire southwest region. They started by damming the estuaries, large inlets that allowed the rivers to flow out, and flood waters to pour in. The dams transformed these estuaries into lakes. However, there was one canal that needed to remain open for shipping, and the Maeslantkering was the solution. There were also many traditional solutions, like dikes and seawalls. Many communities were also moved inland to provide more space for flood waters to collect in flood plains. Some to the newest Netherland cities provide good examples of the benefits of this. The newer parts of cities have been artificially elevated above sea level, and many roofs are green, and can store rainwater. Underground structures like parking lots can transform into water storage facilities in a flood, and floating structures are also being created.