Engineering geeks, this is paradise!!

By: ALPS

Let's evaluate the engineering ingenious of the Dutch using a score from 1 to 5 happy faces. To understand this scale and what it means to an engineering dork like me, let's assume 1 happy face is what you make when you see a kitty cat licking its tiny paw, 5 happy faces refer to that feeling when you see a 1 ton white tiger playing the violin while walking on a high wire and holding the kitty cat with its tale. This being said, let's start the evaluation of this past engineering entertainment week.

Day 1: The Hague and the Headquarters Rijkswaterstaat of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management

Score:  =) =) =)

 (Rikjswaterstaat, coffee and more)

Visiting the Headquarters of the Rijkswaterstaat was very instructive. We spent quite some time learning the water management structure of the Netherlands and drinking delicious coffee. The system is relatively simple. The hierarchy starts a very local level with the Water Boards and Municipalities, followed by the Provinces, National Government and finally at the top, the EU. Although each of them have to respond to the higher level, they are independent to make decisions regarding the benefit of the local community since geographical location of the Water Boards and Provinces is highly influential (not all the country is under sea level).

 (The Hague and what we assumed it was the congress building)

It was also a beautiful day in the Hague (SUN WAS OUT) and after leaving the headquarters we took a walk around the city to max out our cameras with random pictures of this European Historic legislation center.

Day 2: Kinderdijk and Biesbosch

Score: =) =) =) =)

I give to this trip 4 happy faces not only because is very cool engineering site but because is a happy place. After enjoying a nice presentation of the Rivervieren Waterstaat (Riverside water board) representatives, we took a walk to the old windmills field. All I have to say is... fun, fun, fun. Starting from the application of this mills to control water levels in the area (raise water from the canals towards the river) only powered by wind, to the mill itself. The appeal of these structures is not only functional but aesthetic. If It were my choice I'll make some space next to the creepy doll inside the mill and live there. Besides, Dutch country side is just plainly beautiful.

 (One of the 19 wind mills in the area and a creepy doll living inside it)

On the other hand, Biesboch is quite impressive as well. I also have to say that it's not as fun as Kinderdijck but could enjoy the several hectares of reclaimed land (i.e. land that has been taken back from the water). From the engineering perspective, this is pretty awesome and you get to search for ghost beavers while riding the boat. I mean, the boat captain said himself that he has seen 2 beavers in 10 years, which probably happened when he had one too many "coffee cups" according to one of the persons in the boat.

 (There is a beaver hole somewhere in this picture)

Day 3: Zeeland province

Score: =) =) =) =) =) .... =D.

 (Zeeland province. My cheeks were frozen and I couldn't stop smiling)

Wow, I mean wow. Although this visit started a little slow and the weather was terrible, it was all forgiven when we arrived to the Oosterscheldekering. Let's not get there just yet, first let me talk briefly about the Watersnoodmuseum (Flood disaster museum). At his point, my colleagues have covered the specifics about the 1953 flood that change the lives of the Dutch forever. After this tragic event, the Dutch decided to strengthen their water barriers and develop a protection plan that could avoid this type of event to happen "ever again". If you want to know more, go back and read about it in my colleagues' blogs. This museum was made as memorial of this event, and the cool thing is that is inside a engineering structure called "caisson". Four caissons remaining from WWII were placed in series to fix one of the dikes broken during the war (that's another cool thing, there is so much history behind Dutch water management development). A caisson is mainly a big rectangular box of concrete, in this case a 20x15x60 m box. As you have seen in the other blogs, the most impressive part of this museum is the the project developed by Koert Davise and Roel Wouters, where the victims of the flood gain a face through personal stories told by their own relatives (http://www.watersnoodmuseum.nl/en_GB/2-museum/3-exposition.html).

  (Very sad moment in Dutch history)

And after sadness, there is always happiness. We arrived to one of the most amazing engineering structures in the world, the Oosterscheldekering. The Oosterscheldekering or the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier is simply AWEEEESOME. A nine kilometers wall built to protect the Dutch from flooding. It took 10 years to finish this beauty, 3 years to compact the sea floor where it stands, costume made cranes to move the wall's pillars, an artificially created dry area to built the pillars on-site. I think I increased the water level of the river with my drool. Unfortunately,  I couldn't exhaust my SD capacity because my camera run out of battery but here is a tiny sample of the scale of this engineering marvel.

 (9 Km of barrier) (Inside the barrier)

Day 4: Maasvlakte-2 and the Maeslantkering

Score: =) =) =) =D

This visit has 1 happy face left because, after the sweet flavor given by these very cool superstructures, there is a little sour side that my environmentalist alter ego perceives. Let me elaborate on this. Maasvalkte-2 is a very ambitious project that will redefine the coastline currently occupied by the Port of Rotterdam to increase its cargo capacity and improve its competitiveness around the world, specially in Europe. A project of this magnitude require an equally big environmental remediation program, and it was here were one of my happy faces disappear. However, when we got the Masklantkering the drool started running again. This storm water surge is probably more known than the Oosterscheldekering although it is "smaller". A completely automated system that closes two gigantic doors, each of one pivoted on gigantic ball joints which almost have the same degrees of freedom of the joint in your shoulder. The system makes a decision based on weather related data and the joint was made with the precision of a Swiss watch. Isn't this cool or what!?!?. As they describe it, there are 2 Eiffel towers automatically closing when a dangerous storm is coming. I definitely had plenty of pictures to spend on this one but I will show you only 2 because this blog is already too long.

 (One of the doors)

 (300 m... seria una locura!!!)

I got a bike!!

Yesterday I was successful in finding a decent bike to buy!  From the very beginning, we all knew that buying a bike for our 3 month visit was going to be key in gaining the full experience and being able to travel to all of our destinations around Delft with ease.  Audrey joined me on our journey to Schiedam-Nieuwland where we obtained the bike. 

Today, Audrey and I set out on our first bike ride.. yikkkess!! Let's just say, riding a bike in Holland is much different than riding a bike in Florida!  While the idea is the same, the other bicyclists are much more experienced and there is more traffic (whether cars, pedestrians or other bikes).  We decided to stick to back roads for now until we get used to how things work!  Today was a great start in our efforts to really immerse ourselves in the Dutch culture.  Can't wait to see where my new bike will take me!

Putting the week in perspective

Wednesday, May 12 some of us had an excellent conversation over a scrumptious dinner of 3 different types of fish. Over the course of the day, Leo van den Brand, of the Province of Zeeland (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f50ucZYs-g for a short interview) talked about how the Province has realized since the Delta Works were completed that closing off the estuary, while good for flood safety, has negative ecosystem effects and creates water quality problems. The Province is working with other stakeholders to look for solutions to some of these problems.

Many times during the week, a comparison was drawn between the human/environment and engineering/ecosystem interfaces between the Delta Works in the Netherlands and the Florida Everglades Restoration. An engineering solution to flooding was devised for the Okochobee area, which created extreme ecosystem and water problems in the Everglades. There were of course other engineering interventions along the history, including building a major highway through the Everglades.

Today, stakeholders are trying to come together to solve these environmental problems in the Everglades, although the United States is a different country, with different complications than here in the Netherlands. Often stakeholders are quick to jump to the judicial system, because the legislative branch of the U.S. government has historically been too slow to act on environmental policies. It is unfortunate sometimes that so many lawsuits are filed. So- how can stakeholders in the U.S. work more efficiently together, and try to emulate the Polder Method, as the Dutch call bringing stakeholders together to work towards a common solution. According to Leo van den Brand, coming to a solution can take 10 years, but the Dutch see it as necessary to keep stakeholders satisfied with the finalized solution.

Humans and the environment often can be at odds with eachother. How do we prevent this from happening? How do we change situations so that humans and the environment are not completely at odds, but have some semblance of synergy? After all, we have always and will always depend on the environment for our basic needs to be met.

Engineering is a field often seen through the lense of "building stuff," a field that causes negative effects in ecosystems. Why is this? Engineering in the past has considered safety and cost top priorities when solving problems. Now engineers are being taught to consider the environment. And yet- can engineers really consider the environment as a top priority when safety and cost are so ingrained in engineers' thinking patterns? Doesn't that mean that engineers need folks from other disciplines such as biologists or ecologists to be present in project decision-making, in order that we do consider the environment as best we can when coming up with solutions? The Dutch certainly believe so.

Particularly of interest, the Oosterschelde Storm Surge Barrier at the mouth of the Oosterschelde estuary was redesigned from its original proposal to entirely close off the estuary, making the estuary brackish or fresh. During the 1960's, (after the flood of 1953 that killed 2000 people mainly in Zeeland) people protested the closing of the Oosterschelde estuary. They were successful in affecting the design. Today, the Oosterschelde Storm Surge Barrier restricts some flow in that the piers stand where once nothing stood, but there are sliding barrier doors that close during the threat of high waters, which is not very often.

We can look at the past and have regrets, or we can be mindful of our past and look to the future, attempt our best and create an improved world in the process.

Laurel

To come or not to come (today)???

I'm finally en route to join the USF team that has been at UNESCO-IHE since last week wednesday. Now I'm sitting in Philly and the flight is way over sold and they are beging people to go to Holland via different routes (with $1000 US travel voucher and $200 cash!!!!). The deal is indeed enticing and the fact that I'll get to stay in some heat a while longer makes it evern sweeter. I've got till 6:40 pm EST to decide. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Since ALPS has graciously volunteered to recieve me at the airport I guess I'll be on my way tonight and brave the cold from tomorrow. See you all in the morning guys.

KT

You don't need a time machine to go to futureland anymore

Audrey

 Yesterday we began our day at futureworld (located where the red star is in the image to the left) in Rotterdam where we had the opportunity to see the dredging project that is currently being done to expand the port of Rotterdam. Known as Maasvlakte 2, an addition to Maasvlakte 1 which was completed in the 70's, the expansion will develop the port further into the noordzee and increase it's capacity drastically, maintaining the port's position as the fourth largest port in the world. By dredging coarse sand from the sea, vessels deliver the sand to the desired location using one of two methods. The first, as seen in the picture to the left, is to spray the sand and the second is to attach piping to the dredging vessel and pump the sand into location. The picture outlined in red to the left is adding sand to what will be the land in the red box located in the top artistic image of what the port will look like when it is completed. The project is estimated to cost 2.9 billion euros and will begin to open in 2013 when the first company will set up its cargo containers on the new land. A whopping 365 million m^3 of sand is estimated to be required for the project which is being done by two of the largest hydraulic companies in the world under the name Puma. Futureland acts as a museum for the project and includes many visual opportunities for the visitor to learn how the land is formed, the time frame under which the project will be completed and examples of other large scale dredging projects such as the palm islands and the world located in Dubi. In addition, information is provided about the environmental impacts of the project and what the port is doing to make up for the cost of manipulating the environment in such a way. 

After we had seen enough of the port expansion, it was time to leave futureland and return to the present day with a boat trip of the public transportation persuasion which took us directly through the Maeslantkering storm surge barrier. When the Delta works project began, there were two waterways in particular that were not desirable to close off. One was the Westerschelde, which connected to Belgium and the other was the Nieuwe Waterweg, which held the port of Rotterdam. In an attempt to protect their people from the storm surge of the North Sea, the Dutch set out to find a design for a barrier that would remain open leaving no impact on entering ships, but that would close and protect the people in the case of a storm.

After considering several different models presented by engineering companies, they finally choose what is now the Maeslantkering barrier. Concrete blocks were placed on the waterway's floor to prevent sand movement when the gates closed, and two large, moving barriers were fabricated. Both barriers, one on either side of the river, pivot on huge ball joints and are a total of 210 m long and 22 m high. When the computer detects a specified water level rise, the two barriers pivot on the joint using a gear like device that is located on top of the barriers which meet each other in the middle, leaving an approximately 1 m gap in between, as seen in the model rendition of the closing located in the above image's top right corner. When triggered to close, the barriers move into the water and begin filling from the bottom causing them to sink and block potential storm surge. One of the most important things in the use of the barrier is the ball joint hinge which allows a high degree of motion in the movement of the barrier. 

After marveling for quite some time at the intensity and brilliance of the Maeslantkering barrier, we set off on our way home while of course taking the scenic route. On the way back to Delft we stopped and took a stroll on the beach of the North Sea. I was surprised by how much foam was on the beach and found the sand to be much different than the sand that we encounter on the west coast of Florida. Never the less, it was beautiful and I can now say that I touched the North Sea, and took a picture (and shells)! Oh, don't tell anyone, but I also pet a cute little doggy which is something that I have wanted to do since I arrived. While anticipating our trip to the Netherlands I stumbled across a website that discussed the number of glass houses (green houses) located in the country and right by the beach we were lucky enough to stumble over a vast layout of them right by the beach.

Today, Friday, I took the day to rest and recuperate from information filled week that lay behind me. I am very excited about all that I have seen and learned and am very anxious to begin working in the labs here at UNESCO-IHE. This already has been an incredible experience and it's hard to believe that I have been given the opportunity to stay so long and learn so much.

 

 

  

Reflections on Food

I'll admit it. I didn't have high expectations for Dutch cuisine prior to leaving for this trip, but I am happy to say I have been pleasantly surprised. Our dinner the other night was so incredible, I felt it needed an entry all its own. But that, of course, would be ridiculous. So I will tell about my experience with all food thus far on our journey.

First, the best kind of food is the kind that is free. Almost to the point that it doesn't even matter what it is. But luckily, all the free food we've been very, very lucky enough to receive has been outstanding. (I suppose I should put a disclaimer here, that I am a vegetarian. A pesca-tarian, if you will; that is, I eat fish but no other breathing animal. So my commentary on the nation's meat products will be nonexistent.)

Lunch usually consists of a cheese sandwich, milk, a fruit, and a small dessert. Meat sandwiches are also served with the cheese sandwiches. However, the two don't seem to mix. A sandwich is either meat or cheese. Keep it simple.

Dairy products are very important. I've been very happy each day that I am not a vegan. The cheese itself probably deserves it's own entry. It's creamy, satisfying, and diverse. There are entire stores dedicated to the sale of cheese.
There are also all sorts of pastries, some meat, some cheese, and all sorts of breads. I haven't even begun to explore this area of street food.

Coffee and tea are also an integral part of each day. This isn't so different than the American experience, but still important nonetheless. Especially since it's been so chilly, a warm cup of caffeine is certainly welcome.

I've already commented on pickled herring, but it deserves a revisit. I think it has potential. The next time I eat it, though, it will be wrapped in a bun or another buffer material so the texture isn't so shocking. But millions of taste buds can't be that far off, right?

Of course, I shouldn't be surprised about how excellent the food has been. The Netherlands is one of the leading agricultural nations in the world, and takes great pride in their creations. The land was created (in the beginning) for the sole purpose of creating food, perfected over centuries of cultivation and culination. We've only been here a week, but I'm loving the food so much I've also had to remember how much I love running. And yoga. And biking.

And a huge Thank You to the Florida Earth Foundation for allowing us to eat with you all week. The company, as well as the food, has been outstanding.

Watertower and Locks

De

These last couple days have surely been the coldest we've seen on our stay here.  Yesterday we began the day with a visit to Philipsdam viewpoint that was about 7 stories high, and man was the wind blowing at that altitude.  We were for the most part prepared and bundled up, but as Floridians the cold was still a shock!  At the top of the tower we were able to view their system of locks. 

The dams and barriers that were constructed to protect the estuaries from flooding and storm surges can also serve the purpose of separating the salt water from the fresh water.  From atop the viewpoint we were able to see how a lock works.  The sea side of the lock is salt water but the land or riverside is fresh water, needed for farming.  The way the lock works is when a ship enters they face a solid gate and then a solid gate is lifted behind them.  The ship is then enclosed in the lock and as the salt water drains, fresh water is added on top of the salt water.  The lock works on the premise that the salt water is denser than the fresh and therefore will sink to the bottom where it will be removed and held in a sort of holding tank.  When the ship is completely surrounded by fresh water, the front gate is lowered and the ship is able to continue through the estuary.

This form of managing the purity and salinity of the water has been successful in doing just that, but it seems that the locks and dam will be removed from this area.  The original ecosystem survived and flourished under the conditions of salt water, but is now struggling.

Another interesting tidbit that we learned from atop the Philipsdam viewpoint was about shellfish vertical farming.  The Dutch use there long nets or chains to harvest muscles and other shellfish.  The chains are arranged vertically and parallel.  This configuration forms a mat that floats on the surface of the water as it collects shellfish.

'1835 + 1'

Audrey

Yesterday, May 12th, was an exciting and extremely busy day loaded with information and sights. Beginning at 8:30am and ending at 21:00pm, the day allowed us to see and experience many of the dutch engineering designs attempting to keep the noordzee from flooding the area of zeeland, known as the "delta project". The first stop, a watch tower with many stairs, was an overlook of a lock designed to keep the salty water of the estuary Oosterschelde out of a a body of fresh water while still allowing boats to pass through. 

The tower, seen in the above photographs both on a map and as it looks in person, gives an overhead view of the lock below. The boats enter the lock and the salt water is blocked off (as demonstrated in the figure above). Fresh water is then added to the lock and, due to density differences, the salt water settles to the bottom. Once the salt water is at a low enough level to limit its diffusion into the fresh water, the lock is opened and the boat can continue into the fresh water while allowing very little salt water to enter with it. Although amazing, this is just the beginning of some of the most spectacular and beautiful engineering work ever done.

After viewing the lock, and freezing, we headed to the Watersnoodmuseum. Here, the disaster of February 1st, 1953 was memorialized demonstrating the reason behind the Delta Project and enlightening the visitor to the importance of further protecting the coast of the Netherlands from potential storm surge. The museum is constructed inside four caissons (the first seen in picture 2) placed in the area to plug holes that had formed in the dykes causing the monumental flood that caused the Dutch to focus a great deal of money and time ensuring that their people were safe from storm surges.

 Once we arrived to the museum, we were greeted with coffee (image 1), which is something that we have come to value and expect from our visits to different areas in the Dutch culture. It is a tradition that I am pretty sure we are all very happy exists. The first caisson contains images, maps and an overall conceptual view of how devastating the flood was to those living in the area. After moving into the second caisson, we were confronted with a very moving and honest form of art implanted to give the visitor a glimpse into the lives of the 1835+1 people (the +1 being a baby who had not yet been registered prior to death) who died as a result of the 1953 flood. Here, the names of the victims are seen floating underneath of a small platform (image 3). The visitor can then place their hand on the box to the right of the platform (image 4) and speak the name of one of those lost in the flooding. The lights would then dim and, in a very moving manner, a voice would read a brief biography provided to the museum from a friend or loved one. I thought that this was a tremendously artistic way to memorialize those lost in the flood and, although the words were in Dutch and I could not understand, I left feeling like I understood what was lost and the emotional impact that it must have had on all those who lived here at that time. In the third caisson, images of rebuilding the country after the flood were planted in the viewers mind. All of the help given to the Netherlands from other countries was reported and the concepts of dyke, house and city repair were staged. Entering into the fourth caisson, the museum visitor entered the future of the Netherlands and their quest to live with the water that surrounds them. At the entrance of the caisson is an image of two children playing in the water (image 5). Upon closer inspection, it is seen that the larger picture is made up of smaller pictures taken of the consequences of the flood. I thought that this museum was an important addition to our tour. Although up to this point we had heard a lot about the 1953 flood, it was difficult to get an impactful view of what was lost and how difficult and scary the ordeal must have been. After seeing this, the force and effort that was put on the Delta project was well understood. I also felt that this was a very smart use of the caissons.


Once we left the museum we stopped to see the dykes that were currently being repaired in the area. 

By utilizing several different layers and materials, the dykes are water proof, strong, high enough to block storm surges and contain material that will promote plant growth in areas where plants were destroyed for the renovation. 

After leaving the dykes we headed over to the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier (top left). This impressive, massive engineering masterpiece acts as a bridge most days of the year. However, if the water level ever reaches the lower red line painted on the side of the barrier (top right), a height of 3.0M + Normal Amsterdam Peil (NAP), the large barriers (bottom left) will be automatically lowered into the water preventing the storm surge from flooding the estuary and the land. Also indicated on the barrier is the level of the water during the 1953 flood (top right image, top red line) which was marked at a height of 4.2M + NAP. This demonstrates that the water level will not be allowed to reach the same height as it did when the storm of 1953 killed so many people. In addition to simply seeing the barrier, we also were permitted into a museum that has been built within the barrier just below the road. Here, we were able to see models of the building equipment that was used to lay the tremendously heavy and robust foundation of the barrier. We were also able to view the hydraulics that lower and raise the gates of the barrier. Once we left the museum, the real wind started as we climbed to a platform near to the top of the barrier.

I found the opportunity to see the storm surge barrier to be very valuable and was, yet again, impressed with the Engineering ability and design observed throughout the Netherlands.

The Polder Model

By Ivy

We have seen and heard so much over the past few days regarding Dutch water management and impressive engineering undertakings, it's going to take quite a bit of time to process and assimilate all the information. In that case, I will only address snippets at a time, hoping that by writing about them, it'll help me to digest them.

The saying that 'God created the world, and the Dutch created Holland' is quite obviously correct after seeing the manipulation that has occurred throughout this country. I'll begin with polders, which themselves have quite a lesson to teach.

A polder basically is made land, or 'reclaimed' land, depending on how you look at it. A ring dike is constructed, which is basically a giant mound of earth creating a circle within what would currently be water. Once the circle is complete, the water is removed using sluices, windmills, pumps, etc. The area must continually be maintained, as it is not really supposed to be dry. This process was the beginning of the Netherlands, and they were quite good at it. The exposed soil was generally quite fertile and has led the country to be one of the leading agricultural nations in the world, despite being limited in size.

Historically, the polders were managed by the farmers who lived inside them. Over time, farmers joined their circles and maintained the resulting dikes cooperatively. As time progressed, these ring dikes have emerged as the waterboards.

The waterboards managing each ring dike were the first democratic institutions in the country, dating back to the 13th century. Having a common goal helped the stakeholders involved work together, instead of leaving every man for himself. They found this method to be both productive and cheaper.

Fast forward a few hundred years. This cooperative approach is now known as the Polder Model. It has been used by a number of lecturers to describe the relationship between different agencies: national, provincial, and local, or between agencies of different motives, such as Spatial Planning and Rijkwaterstaadt. Of course, there is still miscommunication and disagreement, but in general, the Dutch appear to be getting things done: fast, efficiently, economically, and without the political gridlock that can put almost any issue to a standstill. They insist it has been essential in their relations with neighboring countries as well, in managing waste and pollution from those upstream.

The Polder Model. Compromise. Hmm.

Watersnoodmuseum and The Flood of 1953

By Ivy

Part of today was a somber yet enlightening tour of the excellently organized Watersnoodmuseum in the southern province of Zeeland. The museum itself was built at the site of a dike break during the Flood of 1953, which helped give a better feel for the vulnerability of the area.

The museum is built in four cassions brought initially to help stabilize the broken dike. Each cassion has a theme: remembering, learning, and looking forward. One particularly poignant room is pictured below. It had a concrete boardwalk into a dark tunnel, sand covering the floor below. A list of names was lit onto the sand, undulating away from the onlooker as to be floating out to sea. By putting your hand on a post in the corner, and calling out a name on the list, you could hear a short story about that person: where they were from, their age, and how they died.

For a video explanation of the factors that contributed to the flood, please visit our youtube site at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naOHmU5Tnjs (the link does not open in a new window)
Basically, there had been a storm for four days in the North Sea, forcing water northward through the narrow channel between England and the Netherlands. At some point, the wind shifted and the water wanted to escape. Unfortunately, because of the bottleneck, the water pushed against the levees in the southern delta region of Zeeland, eventually breaking through at over 100 breaches. The ironic part of this history is that an assessment of the region's defenses had been delivered not long before the flood (possibly even the day before) demonstrating its weak points.

This photo shows the region that was partly affected by the flood. As a result of the flood, the Delta Works Project began, where the Dutch government built the series of dams and flood protection structures shown on this map.

People did not have much warning, and therefore did not have much time to escape. It is said that 1835 people died (plus one baby whose birth that night had unfortunately not been recorded before its untimely passing) by drowning, exposure, or exhaustion. The flood occurred on the first of February, which according to the weather in May, must have been extremely cold.

An interview with Miss Ria Geluk describing her experience with the Flood and also her role in founding the Watersnoodmuseum can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxFaLKcE-MA (the link does not open in a new window)

However, the Dutch are resilient, and from the tragic event came the Delta Works Project, a massive engineering undertaking to seal off the land from the sea to ensure the safety of Zeeland's inhabitants.

The Flood of 1953 has been referred to repeatedly as the Netherlands' Hurricane Katrina. Its devastation has spurned the motto 'never again' much like Katrina has spurned a push for disaster preparedness. In fact, the similarities between the two disasters are quite striking: flaws in the levees, inadequate maintenance, an unprecedented storm surge, a high death toll, and enormous economic damage.

The museum not only focused on water management in the Netherlands, but also highlighted disastrous floods that have occurred throughout the world, demonstrating how water can be both a savior and a weapon, depending on the time and place.

Pythons for Musk Rats

By Ivy

Today we visited Kinderdijk, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing the largest collection of working old school windmills left. Prior to our tour we were able to listen to two excellent lectures, one from the Waterboard of Rivierenland and another with 35 years of experience in Dutch water management.

Similar themes as our previous lectures wove through each discussion: the basic framework of water management, enforcement, and implementation from a local, national, and international level, parallels between Dutch floods and Hurricane Katrina, and more or less the 'fight against nature' that the Dutch battle each day.

Each lecturer made a number of fascinating points, but I'd like to talk about just two: musk rats and deserts.

The first lecture discussed the main problems facing the Dutch in their fight to keep their feet dry: land subsidence, peat oxidation, rising sea level, increased water flow from the rivers. But then he raised a new issue: musk rats. Apparently these cuddly mammals have infiltrated from the east, making fine homes in little burrows built into the sides of riverbanks... out east this is ok... but in The Netherlands, making holes in the river banks is not ok. It is making a hole in the dike. Due to this inappropriate behavior, the Dutch have taken to exterminating roughly 20,000 rats each year. I found this an interesting parallel in two ways: not only are they fighting nature physically, but also biologically. Which begs the question: How much "nature" can you really control? Similar invasive problems occur in countless other regions, with Florida as no exception. Pythons released in the Everglades are wreaking havoc on the natural ecosystem balance, with efforts begun to eradicate the overgrown pets from the area. Why not export them to The Netherlands to eat the musk rats? We'd probably also have to export some warm weather for the python to survive, which would probably also do the country some good.....

muskrat picture borrowed from http://130.18.140.19/noxubee/Resources/animals/Images/Muskrat1.jpg

The second lecture, after giving one of the best explanations of the need and means to pump water from the lowlands to the sea, had a funny but poignant alternative. He mentioned that it would probably be cheaper for all of the Dutch to get together, forget about maintaining the dikes, buy an equivalent sized piece of land in the US desert and start over. Economically, it would probably be cheaper. It was a silly idea, but I think the point was showing how much of the resources of the country go to fighting against the forces of nature. Just something to think about. Personally, I wouldn't mind at all if the Dutch all moved into the U.S..... as long as they bring their cheese and wit...

I finally finished my schoolwork on Sunday afternoon and was able to enjoy a walk around Delft. Delft is nice, if you go into the right picturesque places (it is not very picturesque on our block, for instance).

I have enjoyed learning about how the Dutch think about water management. Much of what you will read about Dutch engineering includes massive engineering feats. What is particularly interesting to learn is about Dutch regrets. Not that they may summarize the regrets of everyone, but of the Dutch we happened to be talking with.

Much of the Netherlands has a layer of peat soil, and, many many years ago before settlement, was wetlands. With settlement eventually came pumping of low areas in order to farm. The peat soil was oxidized (I would have to learn more before I could write that redox reaction, sorry), which causes a loss in peat, and the end result is that over the last 700 years, 3 meters or nearly 10 feet in reduction of land level in much of Western Netherlands. That is a lot!!! Anyway, when asked about regrets, the sentiment of some water managers we talked to is that altering the land as the people living in this country have done has resulted in major environmental consequences. Quick stat: 2% of Dutch waterways are currently considered 'natural' under the European Union definition of waterways.

That being said, the Netherlands is a small country. The United States is a large country. As a country, we have altered ecosystems in massive ways, too.

As both an environmentalist and an engineer, I often wonder if the two are mutually exclusive. I firmly believe they are not; otherwise I would not be an engineer. Also, they are completely different. Environmentalism is a view of the world; glasses through which you see, and engineering is a left-brain function; a way of looking at a problem and logically coming to a conclusion. So the question I ask is-- how do we integrate the two into something that can benefit both humans and the environment? Which is really the environment, since humans are a part of the environment.

The Dutch "Room for the River" program is very interesting. They have invested in ways in which to decrease the risks of river flooding, other than building higher levees. Some areas of agriculture have been bought by the government and returned to natural areas.

I was surprised to find that there are many species of birds here. They are really very beautiful to hear and see. I saw some when I walked for a bit outside the natural history museum we spent time at today, located in Biesbosch Nature Reserve.

I loved being out in the countryside here, and I can't wait to get back to it some weekend.

Laurel

"Wonderlijk Water, Waardevol Werk"

Audrey

"God created the world, the Dutch created the Netherlands" 

It has been a few days since my last post and a lot has happened in this short period of time. Sunday was a "take it easy day" which I spent doing some homework and going on a long walk with Ana and Ivy in search of a tell tale grocery store that is open on Sundays. I am still amazed at how beautiful Delft is and how it operates. To the right is a picture of Ivy standing just inside of the bike parking outside of the Centraal Delft train station. It is amazing how many bikes there are, and even more amazing that anyone is able to locate their bike when they arrive. I think I will have to find a flag for my bike, or else I may lose it after the first day. 

I also have finally gotten the chance to upload the pictures that I took out of the window from the plane as it was landing in Amsterdam's Schipole airport last Thursday morning (left). Although at the time I did not quite understand the degree of importance that the canals in the Netherlands have, it is obvious from this view that they are all over the landscape. Looking at this picture now, it is very easy to see the vulnerability that the Dutch have to the water that is all around, and at a higher level than they, their houses and their agricultural land are. 

Yesterday (Maandag) we were able to tag along with a tour to Rijkswaterstaat in Den Haag where most of the water management is controlled. Here, we were given a great deal of information regarding the policies in place regulating the implantation of their water management system as well as how the water is managed in each region of the Netherlands. We discovered that there are currently 27 local water boards focus on testing and managing the water in their regions. In addition, we learned about the history of the water management system and the impact that the flood of 1953 had on the way that the country secured its land from the sea and protected its people. It was also interesting to find out that the people living in the Netherlands do not have flood insurance because the insurance companies couldn't afford the pay off if anything did happen, as it would be such large scale devastation. I also was, again, impressed by how the Dutch plan ahead and try to plan for the climate change and what it could possibly mean for the water levels of the sea and ultimately the safety of their home. At these presentations we also learned that only 2% of the water in the Netherlands is "natural" and that 56% is artificial (in man made canals etc) and that the other 42% has been heavily modified. I found this interesting because it demonstrates how much they have had to change their environment to make it so that the Netherlands can be/continued to be inhabited. Following we walked around Den Haag for a while and looked at the amazing architecture and the beautiful city.

Today (dinsdag) was a very exciting day in my opinion. We were taken to Kinderdijk where we were able to see the historic windmills that were used to move water from the inhabited/agricultural area to the sea. Each windmill can move the water up approximately 1 m and, used in series, move water up to a level just above sea level so that the water will flow into the rivers. The windmills were beautiful and it was very cool to see the way that people used to use their resources to control the water in the Netherlands. It was clear from visiting inside of one of the windmills (for only E3.50!) that people used to live in them and be ready to change their directions/speeds at any time.

It was a very fun day today and it was really great to be able to go inside of the windmill and see how it operates. I am excited about tomorrow and all of the new things that we will learn. There is so much information that it is hard to sum it all up here in the blog. This has been such a good experience and it is only beginning. I have found the Dutch culture to be very inviting and friendly and feel as though I have been here much longer than a week.

As long as their feet are dry..

In the past couple days we have heard a few presentations about the Waterboards system in the Netherlands.  Waterboards are a part of the government, or an authority figure in the Netherlands that deals strictly with the management of surface water.  The problem that the Waterboards face is public interest.  While 60% of the country is at risk of being flooded, the Dutch have sort of become accustomed to being protected by the dikes and other forms of keeping the water back.  Because of this, the percentage of residents participating in the elections of the Waterboard and its associated organizations is about 24%!  A common phrase that has been used was "dry feet", the people are not very interested as long as they have dry feet! 

Another interesting phrase that has been used when describing the Dutch's system of water management is that "God made the world, the Dutch made the Netherlands".  This factoid seems a little silly, but when looking at maps of the area that the Netherlands now occupies, it is undeniable.  The Netherlands now sits on areas that were once completely submerged, and that water does not just disappear!  Through the usage of dikes (or levys), windmills, and other forms of pumping, this water is displaced in an effort to keep the Dutch's feet dry.

We've also had a chance to visit some really cool places around the Netherlands.  Yesterday we were in The Hague where we were able to visit the Parliment building and some of the "downtown" area.  There was very strange art work and even a Chinatown sort of area.  We all ate together at a little Greek restaurant where we ate Gyros while sitting outside where we were able to really take in the atmosphere. 

Today we went to Kinderdijk to see the windmills.. WOWWWW! The windmills were amazing!  Right off the bat we were trying to capture their beauty from the bus, but little did we know that we would be able to actually get right up close and actually walk through the inside of one of the windmills!  We learned a lot about how the windmills work: each windmill is capable of transfering 1 m of water, therefore if an area was 2.5 m below sea level, 3 windmills would be needed to pump out the required water.  When more modern pumps were developed, the windmills were no longer used.  At one point in time, people wanted to destroy them to avoid maintenance costs, but luckily someone realized the culture value that the windmills held.  During WWII, the Germans occupied all the energy that was needed to run the modern pumps and luckily, the windmills were still there to save the day!  Kinderdijk has a total of 19 windmills!!

Netherida

By Ivy

We spent the day today learning about different aspects of Dutch water management. As each presenter analyzed a different aspect of water management, from its history to the plans for the future, I was struck by a few stark differences to the American way of disaster planning, along with one comforting annoyance.

First, the Dutch have no flood insurance. At first this seems a bit counterintuitive; flooding is the major threat here, besides choking on a pickled fish, so wouldn't you want the utmost protection? However, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It's honest. The insurance companies figure there's no way to insure a disaster like the Flood of 1953 (the largest flood in modern Dutch history and the impetus for proactive flood protection), so why bother. On the other hand, people should understand the dangers and consequences of living where they do, which is often (at least in the States) reflected in the price of your property/flood insurance (especially in Florida). In a way, this is experienced in Florida to an extent, with different insurance companies pulling out of the market, leaving Citizen's insurance vulnerable (and potentially insolvent) in the case of a large scale disaster.

The other main difference can be explained by more statistics. The GNP and the number of inhabitants of The Netherlands is roughly equal to that of Florida. From this perspective, if Florida could devote all its resources and energy to the types of disasters directly impacting it, i.e. hurricanes, drought, and potential sea level rise, they may have the success and consensus reached in The Netherlands, as it musters its population against flooding. However, Florida is part of the entire United States, where resources must be divided between a very diverse range of threats, leaving a smaller piece of the pie to water management.

Some refreshing insights from today revolved around how government functions. Although The Netherlands are much smaller in scale than the United States, it was still somewhat comforting to hear that their Building Department equivalent doesn't always talk to their water managers and that they often have to consolidate multiple local plans into one regional or national plan, often with much wrangling and disagreement. I suppose everyone in the world understands laughter and bureaucracy.

Some Helpful Statistics...

By: Ivy

Although someone once told me "there are lies, darn lies, and statistics," I still think they help to put some relationships in context. Today we had a morning introduction at UNESCO-IHE that gave some helpful background information regarding the organization.

Some numbers I found useful in wrapping my head around the scope of the work accomplished at the Institute, their focus, and how things work:

Contrary to what I thought, about 30% of projects worked on take place in the Northern Hemisphere; projects may be primarily in developing countries, but definitely not all.

The Institute maintains about 180 staff, about 54% of which are academic. They offer 4 programs with 14 specialties. For a list of programs available see:
http://www.unesco-ihe.org/Education

The IHE has awarded post graduate Master of Science degrees since 1957. Currently, they have 200 MSc students per class, and classes run about twice per year (overlapping). Although the Institute maintains over 100 Ph.D. candidates, degrees are awarded in conjunction with another Dutch college, as the Institute is not yet accredited to award this degree.

The most striking statistic was the number of alumni: 13,400 people from 162 countries around the world. This fact is pretty clear from the moment you walk in the Institute. In our first 10 minutes at a meet and greet I had met people from Colombia, Venezuela, Egypt, and Mongolia.


The Netherlands government provides a majority of the funding, with the rest coming from EU Projects and competitive grants. Although UNESCO and IHE are integrated, no funding actually is received from UNESCO, allowing IHE to be independent in their decision making.

It truly is a privilege to have the opportunity to be a small part of the important work carried out this very unique and global institution.