History

The Dutch have been building flood defenses since the 9th century AD and have been improving all the time. The golden age of flood engineering came during the 18th century, one such example was the Haarlemmermeer, an 18,000 hectare lake which was pumped dry, and this is where Schipol airport was later built. In the 20th century, the Zuiderzee was closed, and with it the connection between the North Sea and the central Netherlands was severed, which would greatly reduce the risk of flooding. In 1953 a large flood engulfed swathes of the Zeeland and South Holland, this provoked a large project called the Delta works, to innovate and improve flood defenses in the country. In 1993 and 1995, the problem of climate change and increased water levels reared their heads again, and led to renewed and still ongoing programs of defense, this time however it does not merely involve raising barriers higher, but creating more room for the water, to alleviate stresses on dykes and flood barriers