The Netherlands - A Case Study

Zuiderzee Works

The Afsluitdijk, dutch for closure dike was built between 1927 and 1932. Built as a reaction to a winter storm, which breached many of the dikes along the Zuiderzee, the 32km dike closed off the Zuiderzee Sea from the North Sea and created the freshwater lake IJsselmeer. The Afsluitdijk allowed for the reclaimation of 480 sq km of land, becoming the Noordoostpolder (North-East Polder) by the building of additional dikes from 1936 to 1940, and drainning the Noordoostpolder from 1941-1942. The are three other polders, one built at the same time of the Afsluitdijk, the Wieringermeer, and two built after WWII collectively called the Flevolands: Sothern and Eastern Flevolands.

Built from 1963 to 1985, the Markerwaard Dike was built in response to flooding near Amsterdam in 1960 and as the final part to the Zuiderzee Works. The 28km dike is situated in the southern part of the IJesselmeer, between Lelystad and Enkhuizen. There have been plans to create a fifth polder in the area the Markerwaard encloses, yet due to economic factors and enviormental reasons, the Marker meer was never reclaimed.

Deltaworken

In 1953 a fierce storm in the North Sea caused the North Sea Flood of 1953 damaging the coasts of England and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands the storm and the resulting flood killed 1,835, the majority in the southern province of Zeeland. The storm caused the destruction and failure of numerous dikes and seawalls and about 1,750 sq km of land was flooded. The Deltaworken or Delta Works in English, was the country's recation and solution for the damage of that horrendous flood.

The Maeslant Barrier build between 1991 and 1997, is a surge protection barrier build to protect the Rotterdam harbor from flooding. The ingenious barrier consists of two hinged towerike structures that open and close the Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway). The barrier is to be closed when a 3.0m surge threatens Rotterdam, although this has never happened.

The Easter Sheldt Storm Barrier the largest of the Deltaworken dams, was build between 1976 and 1986. Initially built and designed as a dam, sluice gates were added to the barrier durring the finaly years of construction due to public backlash about the enviormental affects of the dam, which harmed local industry. The dam is designed to last for 200 and has been closed 23 times since 1986.