September 28, 2023
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This August, the American Flood Coalition, alongside members of Congress and their staff, participated in a trip hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to explore its diverse approaches to flooding and water management.
Attending the trip were AFC Federal Champions Greg Murphy (NC) and John Rutherford (FL); a chief of staff; and representatives from AFC, including our founder and executive director, policy director, and government relations director.
The four-day program offered an immersive opportunity to learn about one nation’s approach to flood resilience and adaptation, while presenting similarities and differences of flooding challenges in the Netherlands and the United States.
“Keeping our feet dry,” the Dutch mindset
While the Netherlands is only a fraction the size of the United States and much more densely populated, it offers a robust case study of a national strategy focused on protecting its citizens from flooding.
As a low-lying coastal country with 26% of its land area below sea level, the Netherlands is vulnerable to flooding along coasts, rivers, and from rainfall. Water management is embedded within its national identity, with regional and local water boards going back to the 12th century.
Upon arriving in the Netherlands, the group visited Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, exploring these themes through artwork, cultural artifacts, and other objects depicting the nation’s water history.
Cooperating across national, regional, and local stakeholders
The delegation met for a productive dialogue with leaders at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. There they heard about the evolving Dutch approach to water policy, the Netherlands’ Delta Program, and its approach to international water policy.
The trip also allowed the U.S. delegation to connect with regional and local leaders, including representatives from one of the current 21 water boards operating in the Netherlands today. These water boards oversee management plans for water quality and regional flood defense systems.
On a visit to the coastal community of Katwijk aan Zee, the delegation met with representatives from the Rhineland Regional Water Authority about their projects, such as the Parking Garage in the Dunes.
This innovative project reinforced an existing dike along seaside dunes to protect against floods, while creating an underground parking facility that benefits residents and supports local tourism.
Investing in forward-looking data and modeling
The group also visited Deltares, an independent applied research institute, which works across policy, science, and engineering to make life possible within deltas, coastal zones, and river basins. Deltares provides forward-looking, robust data analysis and modeling to the Dutch government, water authorities, and regional governments, as well as the private sector, nonprofits, and international stakeholders.
Deltares is also home to the Delta Flume, a 300-meter long flume that can generate waves up to five meters — the largest artificial waves in the world. This and other technical models allows Deltares to test materials used in shoreline protection and dike construction, as well as how well vegetation like willow trees can provide nature-based flood protection.
Creating Room for the River
Another key Dutch flooding strategy is its Room for the River program — a decades-long effort to widen rivers, made possible through close collaboration across many stakeholders. Room for the River allows space for floodwaters by widening river channels through extracting sand and gravel, as in the case of the Grensmaas Consortium project, or incorporating wetlands, lowering flood plains, and relocating selected built structures, as was done in the Noordward area.
The importance of Room for the River solutions were displayed during a visit to the southern city of Valkenburg, located in the southern province of Limburg. In July 2021, Limburg saw heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding. The delegation connected with regional and local leaders from this area, who shared insights about challenges and how they fit into the Netherlands’ broader flood management strategies.
This region’s riverine flooding also reiterated the need for international collaboration between the Netherlands and neighboring Germany and Belgium, which were also hard hit by the July 2021 floods. All told, the flooding led to 220 casualties in Germany and Belgium, and 40 billion euro in total damage across the three nations.
As regions around the world, including in the U.S., grapple with increasingly extreme precipitation events, we’ll need more proactive investments in forward-looking data and flood resilient infrastructure.
Investing in urban flood solutions
In addition to visiting the countryside, the group also visited Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands. With its relatively newer, post–World War II infrastructure, Rotterdam has incorporated flood resilience into many of the city’s features, including nature-based solutions and retention areas for excess water to flow.
One such feature was Rotterdam’s Water Square, a public plaza comprising three pools that can hold over 528,000 gallons of rainwater. During dry conditions, the Water Square is a recreational space, with a basketball court, skatepark, and other seating.
This simple but effective solution echoes AFC’s work with communities in Kinston, North Carolina, and Phoebus, Virginia, where we’ve launched and supported nature-based projects, led locally with heavy community input.
The group also met with leadership for the Port of Rotterdam. As the largest port in Europe, this resource serves as a major economic engine for the Netherlands and international trade, while being intrinsically connected to the Netherlands’ Delta Works flood protection infrastructure.
Building coastal protection with the Delta Works
Last but not least, the delegation was briefed on the Netherlands’ Delta Works system of locks, dams, and storm surge barriers built to defend the country from flooding from the North Sea.
The program included a tour of the Maeslant Barrier, a navigable storm surge barrier constructed from 1991 to 1997. Resembling two Eiffel Towers when open, the barrier closes automatically when threatened by flooding and storm surge, offering protection for millions of people and the Port of Rotterdam.
Lessons for long-lasting flood resilience
The Netherlands visit took place as Hurricane Idalia brought devastation to Florida’s Gulf Coast, as well as Georgia and the Carolinas’ Atlantic Coasts.
That storm showed the importance of shifting our mindset from recovering after floods to preparing communities before storms hit. Central to that shift is ensuring federal, state, and local partners are equipped with forward-looking data, effective programs and consistent funding, and clear strategic planning — all elements of AFC’s mission to transform how we adapt to flooding and sea level rise.
“One big takeaway I have from the Netherlands is that every major flood disaster spurred a major political response, launched new strategic planning efforts, and catalyzed proactive projects, resulting in the major investments the Netherlands is famous for today,” said AFC Executive Director Melissa Roberts.
AFC prides itself in connecting its members and stakeholders with partners, resources, and guidance to tackle flood challenges across America. The visit to the Netherlands offered another opportunity to do just that, while gaining new perspectives on flood solutions.
