Thanks so much for this ongoing series on the Netherlands. I was a fan of your newsletter before this series, but even more so now. My grandfather's family goes back many centuries in Zeeland. I plan to visit there this summer, and these marvels are now on my itinerary.
As a recent immigrant to the Netherlands, I've been trying to impress on various Antipodean friends just how astonishing the Deltawerken are, and how thoroughly they embody the Dutch spirit. As you say, the flood of 1953 would have defeated many, particularly after the horrific experiences of WWII. It reminds me of the resilience of my new home, Rotterdam, which so spectacularly and innovatively reinvented itself after being obliterated by German bombs.
I'll be sharing these excellent articles in this series. Thank you!
What a delight again to read these things from someone abroad. Thanks Sam! The Delta Works (Delta Werken) are a thing we learn about in primary school. There is a museum, a lot of schools visit on day trips and open for the public. One of the producers I work with (in the event branche) his grand dad was one of the engineers working on this project. It’s part of the current generations history and even where I live, a few 100 km’s to the east of Zeeland we are protected by it. As most of our country is below sea level and we are very aware of the rising sea level (3mm each year at the moment) there’s planning going on to more protective measures. They plan for a quicker approach (the Delta Werken took 80 years from design to completion) to keep up with Climate Change. (In the professional water world in the Netherlands no one is doubting changes will come…)
This was such an interesting read, many thanks. Is it possible for anyone to visit the Delta Works, or must one be there for an official purpose? We hope to visit the Netherlands again one day, and would make a plan if it is accessible to the public.
They're major features of the landscape-I don't know what it takes to visit control centers/conference venues like the Topshuis, but you can at the very least walk and drive across much of the Delta Works!
As a retired civil engineer that lives in coastal lowlands, I find this article very interesting. I would love to see the flood control equipment as well as the land utilization.
It's all very impressive, but I find it hard to believe it could manage 20 feet of sea-level rise, much less the 200 feet implied by Antarctica. Have they estimated the upper limit of what they could manage?
Thanks so much for this ongoing series on the Netherlands. I was a fan of your newsletter before this series, but even more so now. My grandfather's family goes back many centuries in Zeeland. I plan to visit there this summer, and these marvels are now on my itinerary.
I'm so glad you enjoy it!
As a recent immigrant to the Netherlands, I've been trying to impress on various Antipodean friends just how astonishing the Deltawerken are, and how thoroughly they embody the Dutch spirit. As you say, the flood of 1953 would have defeated many, particularly after the horrific experiences of WWII. It reminds me of the resilience of my new home, Rotterdam, which so spectacularly and innovatively reinvented itself after being obliterated by German bombs.
I'll be sharing these excellent articles in this series. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
What a delight again to read these things from someone abroad. Thanks Sam! The Delta Works (Delta Werken) are a thing we learn about in primary school. There is a museum, a lot of schools visit on day trips and open for the public. One of the producers I work with (in the event branche) his grand dad was one of the engineers working on this project. It’s part of the current generations history and even where I live, a few 100 km’s to the east of Zeeland we are protected by it. As most of our country is below sea level and we are very aware of the rising sea level (3mm each year at the moment) there’s planning going on to more protective measures. They plan for a quicker approach (the Delta Werken took 80 years from design to completion) to keep up with Climate Change. (In the professional water world in the Netherlands no one is doubting changes will come…)
Thank you!
This was such an interesting read, many thanks. Is it possible for anyone to visit the Delta Works, or must one be there for an official purpose? We hope to visit the Netherlands again one day, and would make a plan if it is accessible to the public.
They're major features of the landscape-I don't know what it takes to visit control centers/conference venues like the Topshuis, but you can at the very least walk and drive across much of the Delta Works!
Thanks Sam, that would be great to see!
https://www.neeltjejans.nl/deltawerken/
As a retired civil engineer that lives in coastal lowlands, I find this article very interesting. I would love to see the flood control equipment as well as the land utilization.
It's all very impressive, but I find it hard to believe it could manage 20 feet of sea-level rise, much less the 200 feet implied by Antarctica. Have they estimated the upper limit of what they could manage?