The Dutch View Rising Sea Level as Opportunity, Rather Than Threat

In the Netherlands, a country that largely lies below sea level, an innovative approach to urban storm water management is not just an achievement, but a necessity. The Dutch have a unique view of their situation and choose to “live with the water, rather than struggle to defeat it.” In fact, the special relationship with water develops at a young age for those who grow up in the country, as children are thrown into the pool fully clothed to earn a swimming certificate. The fact that flooding is a major threat to the country is approached head on with a combination of Dutch ingenuity and determination.

Low Impact Design 

The Dutch hold the view that traditional flood barriers and storm water management practices are not adequate to address the rising tides brought on by climate change. Their solution is to let the water in, where possible, rather than continuing to build up and against it.

The Dutch devise lakes, garages, parks and plazas that are a boon to daily life but also double as enormous reservoirs for when the seas and rivers spill over.”

Water Plaza Rotterdam: A community space where people and water coexist
LID mimics the natural water system for collection and drainage of storm water

A keen example of this low impact design for storm water is the Water Plaza in Rotterdam, a public space that has been designed as a community hub but also features sunken infrastructure and green, pervious areas to sustainably collect rain and storm water and provide drainage.

Making Room for the River

The Dutch are using concepts of integrative water management and low impact design to redesign cities and “make room for the river.” Instead of building flood defences higher, the Dutch are actually taking on the task of removing these barriers to provide room for swelling rivers. The benefit of this is two-fold: sustainable flood management combined with generation of urban living space.

The redesigned River Waal provides room for river swells and an island with riverside park

The room for the river concept re-generates the connection between local communities and the natural water ecosystem by developing urban river parks and recreation along the rivers. Banks of the River Waal have been constructed as large gradual slopes, both increasing the floodplain and providing space for water infiltration and communities to gather along the river.

Bringing the Dutch Model to Canada

The province of Alberta, like many other regions worldwide, are excited about what the Dutch are doing to prepare for flooding. In response to the terrible floods in 2014 in Calgary, Alberta, the province has closely collaborated with Dutch water authorities to implement Room for the River integrative water management practices right here at home in Canada!

References:

“How the Dutch Make ‘Room for the River’ by Redesigning Cities.” Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-dutch-make-room-for-the-river/

“The Dutch Have Solutions to Rising Seas. The World is Watching.” The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/15/world/europe/climate-change-rotterdam.html?_r=0

Ruimte voor de rivier website: https://www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/english/

Alberta’s Room for the River Approach: https://albertawater.com/how-is-water-governed/what-is-room-for-the-river

Water Plaza Rotterdam: http://www.publicspace.org/en/works/h034-water-square

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